MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren last night stepped up his pursuit of Leeds United striker Alan Smith.

McClaren is understood to have tabled an £8m bid for the England international in an attempt to head off the bidding war that is likely to ensue over the next month.

The Boro boss has made no attempt to hide his desire to bring Smith and his Elland Road team-mate Mark Viduka to the Riverside. Leeds' parlous financial state means their board is resigned to losing the duo and, with further takeover talks planned following relegation to the Nationwide League, the Yorkshire club are keen to sell sooner rather than later.

Goalkeeper Paul Robinson completed a £2m move to Tottenham yesterday and Smith is next on the exit list. Birmingham made a £7.75m offer for the 23-year-old last week, but Boro's UEFA Cup spot means a move to Teesside is more appealing than a switch to the West Midlands.

Smith is still sizing up his options but, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle also tracking him, the frontman is unlikely to make a final decision over his future until next week at the earliest.

Smith is known to favour a move abroad but, while Spanish champions Valencia hold a long-standing interest that stretches back to Leeds' Champions League days, no foreign club has made a formal approach.

McClaren has not ruled out the possibility of a double swoop for Smith and Viduka, but the Australian's £65,000 a week wages are proving a major stumbling block.

Boro have also entered into negotiations with Leeds over the future of on-loan full-back Danny Mills. The England international, who will be part of Sven Goran Eriksson's squad at Euro 2004, has been deemed surplus to requirements at Elland Road.

But Manchester City boss Kevin Keegan yesterday joined the race for his signature and, with Birmingham and Newcastle also interested, Mills is willing to wait until after this summer's tournament before deciding on his future.

Keegan has limited transfer funds at his disposal, but the former Newcastle manager said: "Take away the top four clubs and, if there is anyone out there on a Bosman and those top four clubs don't want the player and we are in there, I would fancy my chances of getting that player.

"Players want to be part of a successful club. This season they will see us just above the relegation zone but players who have got ambition will believe they can make us better."

Recent reports have also suggested that Boro face a fight to hold on to Gaizka Mendieta, but chief executive Keith Lamb has confirmed that the Spaniard will be going nowhere.

Mendieta signed a five-year deal when he moved from Lazio, with an initial one-year loan converting to a full four-year contract this summer.

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