No-go for Benni at the Boro

Rob Moore, who held contract talks on the player's behalf while the striker has been on World Cup duty with South Africa, revealed his disappointment last night.

Moore indicated that he was informed of Boro's decision to pull the plug on the switch from Celta Vigo via a short e-mail.

And McCarthy's advisor blasted: "The deal was as good as completed - everything was agreed upon.

"Then, late Monday evening, I received a one-line e-mail message from Boro saying the deal was off.

"They just told me 'Following on from all our discussions on this regard, we regret to inform you that the deal is off'.

"But I've seen in writing from Middlesbrough that the transfer fee of £6m was agreed, and only the terms of payment had to be sorted out with Celta.

"UK clubs are quick to slam agents - but from my experience with Boro, it is they who give football a bad name."

McCarthy has been keen on a move to Teesside for 18 months and his dream switch was initially blocked by the Home Office when they refused to grant the South African a work permit.

Moore insists his player has been told about Boro's decision and he is determined to put the disappointment to the back of his mind in the Bafana Bafana's final Group B game against Spain today in South Korea.

"It is a bad time for him to get bad news, but I had to tell Benni because I didn't want him to see it first in the media," said Moore, who is still keen to secure McCarthy a move to the Premiership.

"When I told him, he just went very quiet. Then he said he will prove Middlesbrough wrong against Spain."

Boro had looked like paying over £14m for both McCarthy and Italian Massimo Maccarone in a brand new front-line for the new season.

Maccarone is understood to have already put-pen-to-paper on a £8.3m switch from Empoli and the Riverside outfit are also taking Grimsby Town front-runner Michael Boulding on trial.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.