MIDDLESBROUGH are ready to strengthen their interest in Seny Dieng after suffering a blow in their attempts to land Karl Darlow from Newcastle United.

With Zack Steffen, who underwent knee surgery at the start of the summer, unlikely to return after the end of his loan move from Manchester City, Boro are in the market for a new number one goalkeeper ahead of the start of the new season.

They have been monitoring Darlow’s position for a number of years, and had been keen to recruit the 32-year-old on a permanent basis, with Newcastle willing to sell as they look to restructure their own goalkeeping department this summer.

Boro were confident of being able to beat Hull City to Darlow’s signature, even though the shot-stopper spend the second half of last season on loan at the MKM Stadium.

The Teessiders were confident that the opportunity to join a club with strong promotion ambitions, and work under Michael Carrick, would appeal, but growing interest from Bournemouth has complicated the situation significantly.

Bournemouth’s transfer activity has been in something of a state of flux given the inevitable upheaval that accompanied the surprise departure of former boss Gary O’Neil, but with new head coach Andoni Iraola now settled in his new role, the Cherries are keen to accelerate their recruitment drive.

They have held discussions with the hierarchy at St James’ Park over Darlow, and are understood to be increasingly confident of being able to push through a deal.

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While Darlow would currently have to compete with Mark Travers and former Boro goalkeeper Darren Randolph for a place in the Bournemouth, there are suggestions that the latter could be heading elsewhere this summer in search of first-team football. Darlow would prefer to remain in the Premier League if possible, forcing Boro to draw up a list of potential alternatives.

Dieng is understood to feature on that list, with Boro’s recruitment team having been impressed with the 28-year-old’s performances for QPR last season.

The Senegal international, who has recently entered the final year of his current contract at Loftus Road, started all 46 of QPR’s league matches last season, and while Gareth Ainsworth would be loath to lose him, his employers will not want to run the risk of losing Dieng for nothing next summer if Boro table a viable bid.

The Teessiders are considering a number of options, but while Liam Roberts and Sol Brynn are capable of plugging the gap for the club’s early pre-season matches, Carrick would ideally like to have a new goalkeeper in place well before the opening game of the new Championship season at the start of next month.

There is a general desire to reduce the average age of the Boro squad this summer, and prioritise the purchase of players aged 26 or under if possible, but there is also an acceptance that goalkeeper is a specialist position in which experience can be extremely important. While Boro have not ruled out the purchase of a young shot-stopper, they are much more likely to recruit someone of Dieng’s considerable experience.

Boro’s first-team squad will spend this week in Portugal at a warm-weather training camp on the Algarve. Carrick will spend some of his time working with the rest of Boro’s recruitment team on transfer matters, but will also be stepping up his players’ pre-season preparations ahead of their return to England and their first pre-season game at Hartlepool a week on Friday.

Boro will take on Portuguese top-flight side Vitoria Guimaraes during their time in Portugal, but the game will be a behind-closed-doors affair on the training ground with no supporters admitted.