Middlesbrough yesterday called off a proposed £2m bid for Marseille centre-back Lilian Martin.

The 29-year-old has quit the Riverside after playing just one game, at Aberdeen in midweek, as part of a trial.

The former Monaco defender was hoping to seal a permanent move to Boro after being made surplus to requirements at Marseille but the deal has fallen through.

Bryan Robson was back at his desk from Spain yesterday, still attempting to push through other offers for players.

The Boro manager wants to include Christian Ziege in a player-plus-cash deal for Barcelona's £12m-rated striker Dani but there are problems, with the player intent on moving to Liverpool.

The Anfield club have been told they can have Ziege - but the price is £8m.

A furious Robson wants to make them pay for what he sees as a hi-jacking of the German international.

Liverpool have offered £5.5m but Robson wants to double his money, the £4m paid to AC Milan, as he faces up to the loss of the man he rates as his best player.

Robson is still pursuing Lazio's Alen Boksic, Juninho, Joseph Desire Job of Lens, and Real Madrid's Steve McManaman.

Boro can afford the massive wages involved, with the departure of Paul Gascoigne and Juninho - plus Ziege - knocking £100,000 a week off the bill.

Meanwhile, Boro are ready to push teenage sensation Carlos Marinelli onto centre stage this season.

The goalscoring midfielder has been training with the full Argentina World Cup squad in the summer and Robson is ready to pitch him into the Premiership.

Marinelli, described as the 'new Maradona', has scored spectacular goals for Argentina's youth side and Boro in the past two months from free-kicks and open play.

The 19-year-old is in the first-team squad for today's friendly at Durham City.

And the return of Keith O'Neill after a mystery back injury could rescue an emergency situation, with Boro facing the loss of Ziege and Dean Gordon.

The Irish wing-back has recovered, after missing four months of last season, with the help of a specialist in Germany and a successful comeback would rule out a move into the transfer market.

Paul Ince and Christian Karembeu have yet to link up with Boro for training and the injured Curtis Fleming and Phil Stamp are missing at New Ferens Park this afternoon.

Gary Pallister will also have a fitness test on an injured knee.

Squad: Schwarzer, Crossley, Pallister, O'Neill, Cooper, Gavin, Vickers, Maddison, Okon, Summerbell, Marinelli, Mustoe, Deane, Armstrong, Campbell, Ricard.