BENITO CARBONE is playing his way towards a permanent move to Middlesbrough.
The Italian, on loan from Bradford City until the end of the season, is close to convincing Boro boss Steve McClaren that he is worth a £3m gamble.
Carbone has failed to score in six appearances since he arrived at the Riverside five weeks ago.
But McClaren has been delighted with the 30-year-old forward's contribution, and is understood to be considering using him in a more withdrawn role behind a front pairing of leading scorers Alen Boksic and Noel Whelan.
With Whelan laid low by a throat infection, Boksic found himself lacking support at times in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Liverpoool as Carbone dropped deep in search of possession.
But McClaren yesterday insisted: "It's not a problem. Beni likes being on the ball and I think he links things well between midfield and attack.
"Sometimes they do get isolated - they did at times on Saturday.
"But Beni is such a good player and a crowd favourite. He causes problems by coming deep and holding the ball up, and gives the midfield opportunities to get forward. I've been very pleased with him so far.''
McClaren is also looking to clinch a permanent deal for another loanee - left-back Franck Queudrue.
Boro's option to sign the Frenchman expired last Friday, but McClaren isn't worried about the risk of being gazumped by any rival interest and still intends pursuing a £1.5m deal with Lens, who agreed to let Queudrue join Boro in October in a deal which runs until the end of the season.
McClaren said: "The most important thing is that we want Franck to stay and he wants to stay.
"He made a good debut in the game at Charlton and scored in his first home match against Sunderland, and he's got better as he's gone on.''
Meanwhile, Cardiff City's former Boro boss Lennie Lawrence is keen to make on-loan Andy Campbell's move permanent - after the Riverside striker took his goal tally to six in four games.
Campbell, who saw a proposed £1m move to Crystal Palace fall through in August when he failed a medical on a foot problem, hit a hat-trick in Cardiff's sensational 7-1 win at Oldham on Saturday as the Bluebirds boosted their Second Division play-off hopes.
And Lawrence was quick to admit: "Andy would be perfect for us. It was hard to get him here in the first place, we had to do a lot of talking.
"We've provisionally agreed a fee but other people are going to be looking at it, aren't they?
"That's a chance you take, but I fancied my chances of getting him and that's what's happened.
"Hopefully, he'll realise that this is a good move for him. Sometimes you can go somewhere else and it doesn't work out.
"But, in time, I think he could be a good Premier League player."
* Boro have rearranged their game at Ipswich, scheduled for Saturday, April 13 but postponed because of the FA Cup semi-final the following day. The Teessiders now visit Portman Road on Tuesday, April 23 (7.45).
Boro have won the right to wear their first-choice colours in the semi-final at Old Trafford.
There was a potential colour clash with Arsenal, who face a quarter-final replay with Newcastle at Highbury on Saturday.
But representatives from Boro and Arsenal met at Old Trafford last Friday to toss a coin for choice of colours - and Boro won.
Boro have also been allocated the home dressing-room and their supporters will occupy the Stretford End, as they did for the 1997 semi-final with Chesterfield, which ended 3-3 before Bryan Robson's side won a Hillsborough replay.
Ticket details for this year's semi are expected to be released this week.
Read more about Middlesbrough FC here.
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