Hopes fade as Juninho talks of staying in Brazil

Middlesbrough were yesterday still refusing to accept defeat in their battle to persuade Juninho to return for a third spell at the Riverside Stadium.

It is understood Boro will contact Atletico Madrid in a last-ditch effort to renegotiate the undisclosed fee they agreed last week, and secure a better deal for Juninho.

But Boro sources, who had been supremely confident that Juninho would rejoin them, now concede "the chances are very slim''.

Juninho's father, Osvaldo Giroldo Snr, left Teesside when talks broke down on Thursday after Boro failed to meet the 29-year-old midfielder's personal terms.

Juninho is today due to make his first appearance since he played a part in Brazil's World Cup triumph, when he lines up for Flamengo against Sao Caetano.

Flamengo offered Juninho a loan bolt-hole last season after he spent a similar spell in his homeland with Vasco da Gama.

Atletico, who signed him from Boro for £12m five years ago, are now said to be keen to resurrect his career at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

But while Juninho has admitted that his "heart and soul'' are still in English football, he has told media sources in Rio de Janeiro this week that he hasn't ruled out remaining in Brazil.

He said: "Who knows? I could still play with Romario and we could be champions together.

"I am very willing to be here, to return to my family.''

However, the practicalities would almost certainly preclude such a deal.

By all accounts, Flamengo scarcely had the money to pay Juninho last season, let alone meet Atletico's asking price, which is reported to be in excess of £4m.

And his agreement with Flamengo runs out at the end of the month.

Last night, Atletico president Jesus Gil warned Juninho that even if he stays in Spain, he can't expect preferential treatment.

Gil said: "If he does not want a change from the Spanish League, he knows what the conditions are here.

"We are not going to give him everything he wants. He can't expect to have it all his own way.'"

Meanwhile, Aston Villa have denied that they have accepted a £6m bid from Boro for Dutch midfielder George Boateng.

The 26-year-old has been on Boro boss Steve McClaren's shopping list for some time and the Teessiders saw an offer, thought to be around £4m, rejected earlier this summer. But Villa yesterday insisted there had been no new approach.

"We rejected a bid for George some time ago and we've not received an increased bid for the player,'' deputy chief executive and finance director Mark Ansell told Villa's official website.

Transfer-listed Boateng is determined to end his Villa days despite manager Graham Taylor's efforts to keep him. Boateng has returned to training with his future still shrouded in doubt.

"People have said that I must have been 'tapped up' by a big club but that's rubbish,'' he said.

"If I had a club, I'd be there already.

"It's also nothing to do with the manager.

"He is a very nice man and since he came to the club he has picked me every game.''

Taylor will continue to regard Boateng as one who could figure in the club's Intertoto Cup campaign, which kicks off next weekend, although he admits the writing is on the wall.

"As far as I'm concerned, George is not ruled out of the Intertoto Cup,'' he said.

"The situation with George is that we've recognised that whatever we say or do, he's looking to start afresh somewhere else.

"That can happen if people come in with the right kind of offer.

"But we've got to carry on professionally and, as I've already said, George has been very good in training.

"I don't rule him out of playing in the Intertoto Cup. That would be silly.

"I suppose when there is a situation where a player wants to move, the quicker it can be resolved, the better.

"But what we're seeing is that there's very little happening in the transfer market.

"I wouldn't say things have come to a standstill, but clubs are very conscious that there are some big clubs with a lot of debt.''

Read more about Middlesbrough here.