MIDDLESBROUGH are convinced Joseph-Desire Job will eventually sign a new contract at the Riverside, despite renewed interest from a number of French clubs.

The Cameroon striker's contract runs out at the end of this month when he will be able to move for free in a Bosman deal.

Boro are keen to retain the services of Job but, with the player still in France and manager Steve McClaren in Portugal with England, an announcement over new terms still looks weeks away.

And now there has been an increase in transfer activity in France, as Le Championnat sides jostle for new signings ahead of next season.

Job's former club Lens, who received £3m for the player nearly four years ago, are considering resigning him after one of their main men left for ambitious Toulose.

Daniel Moreira, formerly linked with a move to Boro and Arsenal, has signed a four-year deal and now Lens are looking at their options, with Job a possibility.

But Lens are not the only club across the Channel to be weighing up a swoop for the African, with Sochaux and Rennes monitoring the situation.

Their hopes could be dented by Job's insistence that he wants to stay in the Premiership, preferably with Middlesbrough.

"I'm happy at Middlesbrough and it's a good club to play for," said Job recently. "I would like to stay but for that to happen the club must come back with a better offer."

Birmingham City were courting the player but having bought England striker Emile Heskey from Liverpool for £6.25m, their interested has cooled.

Before McClaren, Sven-Goran Eriksson's assistant, jetted off to Euro 2004 with the England squad, he claimed Job was on the verge of putting pen-to-paper on an extension after rejecting the club's initial offer.

A Boro spokesman said last night: "We are still very hopeful that we can agree a new deal with Joseph. Talks are ongoing."

Job, who also played in France with Lyon before his stint at Lens, scored eight goals for Boro last season - only Szilard Nemeth and Juninho scored more.

But the 26-year-old's position has been in doubt, particularly as McClaren has stepped up his search for strikers.

Under-fire front-man Michael Ricketts can leave if a buyer can be found but Dutchman Patrick Kluivert, Aussie Mark Viduka and Nigerian Ayegbeni Yakubu are all wanted men on Teesside.

Boro are understood to have flown out to Croatia in a bid to try to land Leeds star Viduka, as the Premiership outfit aim to fend off competition from a host of foreign clubs, including Juventus and Bayern Munich.

Meanwhile, Michael Reiziger has emerged as Boro's back-up plan if they miss out on right-back Mario Melchiot.

Spanish side Villarreal, along with Newcastle, are in the hunt for Melchiot but Boro are still keen on taking the player to the Riverside.

However, if the Dutchman opts for La Liga then McClaren is lining up a free-transfer swoop for Reiziger, who has been told he can leave Barcelona.

* Iain Dowie is set to sign a new four-year contract with Crystal Palace next week.

* York City have moved to secure their short-term future after striking a deal to take control of their Bootham Crescent ground.

And the long-term prospects also look bright with the club unveiling plans to move to a new 10,000-seater stadium in ten years.

The Minstermen, who suffered the heartache of relegation to the Conference last season, have agreed a loan of £2m from the Football Foundation.

They will use the money to purchase a 75 per cent shareholding in Bootham Crescent Holdings - a company set up by former chairman Douglas Craig - that will effectively ensure them control of the ground.

Director Jason McGill said: ''This will go down as one of the most important days in the history of York City Football Club.

''It has taken ten months, but we now have a controlling interest in Bootham Crescent Holdings and effectively control of the ground.

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