AFTER a few days of bubbling Barcodetastic optimism at the prospect of a new two pronged Samba strikeforce, reinforcements on the left and any one of four from the White Hart Lane clearout, Boro fans' hope's of a January reshuffle have taken a battering today.
Not content with the worrying news that despite his eagerness to join Boro Alves is tied up in red tape in Dutch FA headquarters, Matt Taylor has joined Bolton and Fred has announce he is to stay at Lyon. Even Ross McCormack has pulled out of a mooted move.
The Alves situation remains unclear. While the Dutch tribunal has established the facts - the serial signatory has not one but two legal contracts and is said to have shaken hands with Boro on a third - the way the Gordian knot will be unravelled and the time-table for that is as yet unclear and leave Boro sweating as the end of the window looms.
Meanwhile Bolton have signed left sided target Matt Taylor from Portsmouth on a three-and-a-half year deal. Taylor declined to move from being a squad player at Fratton Park to being a squad player at th eRiverside and has instead opted for first team football at the Reebok, for an undisclosed fee which is hinted as being over £4m, a figure Boro declined to match.
Bolton boss Gary Megson told the club’s website, bwfc.co.uk: “Matt is a quality player who is very versatile on the left-hand side. He is a proven Premier League performer who will bring additional quality to our squad. He has attracted interest from a number of clubs and I am delighted that we have managed to bring him here."
Elsewhere Fred seems dead. He has ended the speculation and said he is staying at Lyon. For now. Despite Boro's hints of interest in him, the Brazilian failed to even mention Teesside as ever having been an option in his decision making when he outlined his future today.
The Brazil international, reported by own agent and brother Rodrigo as being close to signing for Spurs and by Harry Redknapp as practically a Boro player earlier this week, said today : "I haven’t received any good offers. From now on, I am no longer talking about a transfer, I am 100% a Lyon player.”
PSG had confirmed a bid of 12million euros (£9m) but Fred and Lyon’s delay in replying - the brother was too busy courting Premiership interest, generating tabloid interets and creating an illusion of demand - led them to pull the plug.Well, why buy a player who has spent so much time trying to sign for someone else?
Fred has now pledged his loyalty to Lyon ... until next week at least. “PSG and Tottenham were interested but their offers did not interest me,” he said after training, petulently insisting he never wanted to go out with them anyway and besides, they smell.
And in Scotland Ross McCormack has said that despite interest from Boro in a mooted £250,000 move he has opted to finish the season with Motherwell. That one may well be revived in the summer - whenhe will be available on a Bosman - but for now, with two left sided targets out of the equation and the need to raise cash to sign two big money strikers no longer a factor the pressure on Boro to cash in has eased making it less likely that Stewart Downing will leave. Especially as Spurs have failed to harden up their long-running interest with a bid as yet.
That leaves Boro as they were on January 1st but with Mido back in training and closer to a return plus favourites - but far from certainties - to sign Alves. Rob Hulse anyone?
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