MIDDLESBROUGH are weighing up whether to invite Arsenal youngster Josh Rees for a trial after Brentford's failure to clinch promotion to the Championship.

Rees has been on loan at Brentford in the hope of striking a permanent deal in the summer, when he looks set to leave the Gunners academy set-up. Norwich City have also shown an interest.

The 19-year-old has been with Brentford's development squad since February and it is thought he will be offered a deal that would see him stay at Griffin Park.

Midfielder Rees has been a member of the Arsenal academy since his schoolboy days but is on the look out for a fresh challenge and the Championship is thought to interest him.

Boro manager Tony Mowbray is looking at a long list of options in his bid to strengthen his squad this summer, while trying to keep costs low. He wants to have the majority of his transfer deals concluded before pre-season starts on June 24.

Mowbray is exploring a variety of different avenues at home and abroad and, together with his scouting team, has had a significant number of matches covered since the end of the Championship season.

Boro midfielder Matty Dolan, meanwhile, has described the benefits of being involved in Yeovil's Wembley triumph on Sunday.

Dolan, Hartlepool-born who almost joined his hometown club in January, was a late substitute and returns to Teesside with a view to pushing for a first team place under Mowbray next season.

He said: "I've learned about playing with a match atmosphere, competing for three points, how much it means and how much it affects you when you know your family and crowd are watching.

"I know Gary Gill (Boro scout) was at a couple of our games and when I scored against Notts County, Jamie Clapham (Boro Under-21s coach) text me to say 'well done'. The coaches at Yeovil have also given me some good feedback.

"I hope to show the manager (Mowbray) what I can do, but if I can't break in to the first team here I'd like to go on loan again and get 30 or 40 games. I just want to play football."