MANAGERLESS Middlesbrough are in no mood to lose ground on the transfer front and conducted a busy day of negotiating at the club's training base yesterday.
Prior to chairman Steve Gibson and chief executive Keith Lamb meeting up with George Boateng to put the finishing touches to a new three-year deal, the pair also opened talks with an advisor to Chelsea defender Robert Huth.
Manfred Schulke, the centre-back's agent, is believed to have been at Rockliffe Park yesterday morning listening to what Middlesbrough's top brass had to say.
Boro, who are expected to learn today whether or not Martin O'Neill has accepted the manager's job at the Riverside Stadium, are determined to land at least one new centre-back this summer and Huth appears to be the top target.
The German international, currently on duty for his country in preparation for this summer's World Cup, intends to leave Chelsea this summer after struggling to force his way ahead of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho in the Blues ranks.
Wigan have already had a £5.5m bid accepted at Stamford Bridge, while Newcastle United and Everton are both expected to hold talks at some stage with his representatives.
Huth, though, is determined to put any decision making on hold until after the Germany finals to enable him to focus fully on performing to his best in his homeland.
"All I know is that I'm not happy at the moment at Chelsea and after the World Cup I will speak to Jose Mourinho," said Huth recently.
Nevertheless it would appear that the 21-year-old will leave Chelsea this summer and Middlesbrough have been quick to make their interest known.
Gibson has contacted former manager Steve McClaren on a couple of occasions already to discuss football matters and it would seem the value of Huth was one of those.
There is a chance that if O'Neill, or whoever for that matter, does take over then he would pull the plug on any deal but Gibson did not want to be left behind in the race for one of the Premiership's most highly-sought after young defenders.
After the meeting with Huth's representative, the Boro chairman then sat down with Lamb, Boateng and the Dutchman's agent Sigi Lens.
There had been fears that the dynamic midfielder was going to turn his back on the Teesside club this summer when his contract expires.
However Boateng, whose own World Cup hopes were shattered recently when he was left out of Marco van Basten's Holland squad, has decided the best thing for his family is to stay on Teesside.
And the 30-year-old has agreed a new three-year contract, having been given an indication by Gibson of what direction the club are heading in.
The fact that Gibson and Lamb have a three-man managerial shortlist of O'Neill, Terry Venables and Alan Curbishley highlights there is no lack of ambition at the club.
And that in itself has convinced Boateng, who has been waiting to learn the identity of McClaren's successor before signing improved terms, his future lies with his current employers at the Riverside Stadium.
* Chelsea's England midfielder Frank Lampard looks set to pledge his future to the Barclays Premiership champions despite admitting it would be a dream to play in Spain.
Lampard's partner hails from Catalunya and the 27-year-old, who has often been linked with a move to Barcelona, has admitted it would be a dream to play at the Nou Camp.
He said: ''It would be a dream to come to Barca. But Chelsea has offered me a renewal, and I am very proud of that and it shows they have confidence in me.
''In addition the team is being reinforced and will be even more competitive and will be able to aspire to everything."
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