ANDREW TAYLOR will head to the south-west later today to discuss moves to Bristol City and Cardiff City, but Middlesbrough have not given up on keeping him at the Riverside Stadium.

The versatile defender has been asked to take a significant pay cut at Boro and has become frustrated by just how long negotiations have taken to agree terms.

A failure to reach a quick agreement with the club where he graduated through the Academy ranks means he is just days away from being able to leave as a free agent on Friday.

There is an offer on the table from Middlesbrough, and Taylor and his representative are still speaking with manager Tony Mowbray and Boro officials over extending his stay.

But the moves from two of Middlesbrough’s Championship rivals have increased the chances of the 24-year-old leaving as a free agent when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Cardiff were quick to target Taylor after the appointment of Malky Mackay last week, as revealed in The Northern Echo nine days ago. Mackay, the former Watford manager, had always wanted to take him back after the player’s  successful loan spell at Vicarage Road.

But the emergence of the Robins for his signature was more surprising and their manager, Keith Millen, said: “We know we need to strengthen our defence and I’m hoping to get one player in before the players return for training.”

Mowbray, who has to reduce his wage bill by more than half, accepts he faces stiff competition for Taylor.

He said: “I am pretty sure there will have been conversations between Andrew and Cardiff. As soon as Malky took that job he will have been on the phone.

“The boy has some decisions to make and that’s quite plain. Cardiff are a different model to Watford. They could probably match, if not better, what we can offer.

“But it’s not just about finance for Andrew, he showed a great commitment to us. Andrew wants to be in the right place, at the right club. On football terms, he would like to be here and I still hope that’s the case, so we will see in the next week or so.”

Mowbray needs to move players on before he can bring in his own signings at the Riverside and not even the departures of Taylor or Julio Arca would influence that too much.

If the pair were to leave, it would save the club more than £45,000-a-week in wages. But it is not those two players Mowbray wants to lose, which is why they have been offered new deals, on reduced terms.

“There is nothing definitive,” said Mowbray. “Andrew and Julio are slightly different situations.

“Julio is a player from a Premier League era here. He is at a salary level from around that time. If he is to stay then there needs to be some dramatic swings. I would like to have him here but it is unlikely it will happen.

“Andrew is more than just a footballer, he is three footballers. He finished the season at left-back, when we won the last four games, and he spent most of the time in midfield. He is very versatile. I would like to sign him but there are issues that need resolving.”