MIDDLESBROUGH made a major transfer breakthrough yesterday when they agreed a one-year loan deal with Lazio for Spanish midfield star Gaizka Mendieta.

Manager Steve McClaren, having missed out on a string of midfield targets this summer, has finally secured the services of a player with the pedigree to excite the Riverside fans.

In a deal that carries echoes of Boro's signing of Geremi around the same time last year, Boro have negotiated an option to make Mendieta's move permanent if he impresses.

A £30m flop in Rome, Mendieta is hoping a season in the Premiership will revive his flagging international career ahead of next summer's European Championship finals in Portugal.

Mendieta's agent, Alberto Toldra, yesterday claimed he had turned down four other clubs - including Atletico Madrid and home-town side Athletic Bilbao - to join Boro.

Toldra said: "It was Mendieta's decision to choose Middlesbrough. He had four other offers to choose from.

"He's is very happy, but he is waiting to see what happens tomorrow. He is on his way to Middlesbrough and tomorrow morning he will have his medical and, if everything goes well, he will sign the one-year contract.''

Now 29, Mendieta was a key member of the Valencia side which finished runners-up in the 2000 and 2001 Champions League finals, scoring 32 goals in those seasons.

His outstanding form earned him the mega-money move to Lazio, but he was loaned to Barcelona a year later and faced Newcastle in last season's Champions League.

Like Boro, Barca agreed first refusal to sign him but decided against a permanent arrangement, even though he helped to steer them into a UEFA Cup spot.

Lazio confirmed: "We have reached an agreement for a one-year loan for Gaizka Mendieta.

"Lazio also wish to announce that they have given the English club the option to buy the player for the 2004-05 season, after the one-year loan deal.''

Mendieta made his debut for Spain in March 1999 in a 9-0 victory against Austria and has since won 40 caps and scored eight goals.

But he has been dropped by Spain coach Inaki Saez after disappointing displays for Barca.

With Euro 2004 less than a year away, the incentive is there for Mendieta to reproduce the form which made him an automatic choice under previous national coaches Javier Clemente and Jose Antonio Camacho.

Mendieta made Spain's World Cup squad last summer, scoring in the first-round win over South Africa and converting the winning penalty in the second-round shoot-out with the Republic of Ireland.

McClaren will be hoping he exerts similar influence to Geremi, who Boro tried to sign from Real Madrid after his successful season-long loan before Chelsea landed the Cameroon midfielder in a £6.9m deal.

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