SO Gaizka Mendieta is the latest foreign import to join the glitz and glamour of the Premiership.

But what makes Middlesbrough so sure that the Spaniard will not follow in the footsteps of expensive flops that have graced the English stage in the past - and there have been a few! Tomas Brolin, Massimo Taibi and Winston Bogarde immediately spring to mind.

And the three main clubs in the North-East - Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough - have all had their fair share of misfits.

Arguably the biggest of them all, was one of Mendieta's fellow countrymen. Remember Marcelino?

At a cost of £6m the centre-back arrived at Newcastle in 1999, when Ruud Gullit gambled on a man who had lit La Liga up with stirling displays for Real Mallorca in the domestic and European competitions.

But after making just 11 appearances that year Marcelino never pulled on a Magpies shirt in a competitive game again. Sir Bobby Robson ended his days last year when he pedalled him to Recreativo Huelva on a free transfer.

There have been a few more foreign failures at St James' Park as well. Silvio Maric, Stephane Guivarc'h and Diego Gavilan to name just three.

But Marcelino et al are not the only ones to have found life hard in this region. Sunderland are in the midst of offloading their £6.75m record buy, Tore Andre Flo, to Italian side Siena.

The Black Cats have a proven track record for flops. Lilian Laslandes has now departed and this week Nicolas Medina joined Leganes on loan after failing to play a League game at Sunderland.

Considering he was bought by Peter Reid for £3.5m from Argentinos Juniors two years ago then it's easy to see why money is currently too tight to mention at the Stadium of Light.

But Mendieta is not joining Sunderland or Newcastle, he's off to Boro. And they are convinced the 29-year-old can hit the same vein of form that saw Geremi turn on the style at the Riverside last season.

Over the years, during Steve Gibson's reign as chairman, Boro have been able to attract a host of star names from across the water.

And Brazilian Juninho is still turning on the style on Teesside after joining for the third time last summer.

The skilful South American was part of a side in 1997 along with Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson. And while relegation may have been on the cards that year fans will fondly remember that period for the two defeats in Cup finals.

But for every Ravanelli at the Riverside, there has been a Hamilton Ricard or an Alen Boksic. And every time there has been a Juninho there has been a Branco.

Presently the Boro faithful and the coaching staff are waiting to see if Massimo Maccarone can repay the club who splashed out £8.15m on him last year with goals.

And manager Steve McClaren will hope Mendieta can help Juninho provide the Italian striker with the ammunition to shoot the goals to fire Boro into Europe.

But the jury will be out on Boro's new boy - starting when he takes on Arsenal at a packed Riverside tomorrow.