MIDDLESBROUGH are prepared to sacrifice star players to make room for major signings this summer.

Northern Echo Sport understands no-one is safe from a potential purge that could even include the likes of Juninho and Massimo Maccarone.

Ideally, manager Steve McClaren wants to hold on to the Brazilian crowd favourite and the Italian striker, who became the club's £8.15m record buy when he arrived from Empoli two years ago.

But the Boro boss, with the agreement of chairman Steve Gibson, is ready to make drastic decisions if the need arises.

McClaren's view is that every player has his price.

Boro have already released five youngsters - David Murphy, Sam Russell, Phil Gulliver, Craig Dove and Gary Smith.

Senior players, like striker Michael Ricketts, midfielder Mark Wilson and winger Allan Johnston, will be told they can go.

McClaren is chasing Leeds strike duo Alan Smith and Mark Viduka, who between them would cost around £12m, and has enquired about Portsmouth's £4m-rated frontman Ayegbeni Yakubu following the Nigerian international's four-goal salvo in Boro's 5-1 defeat at Fratton Park last Saturday.

But Boro are also eyeing the foreign markets, particularly Spain and Italy, where clubs are threatened with financial meltdown.

The Teessiders are determined to make an impact in their first season in major European competition after the Carling Cup final triumph secured a place in the UEFA Cup.

Next season's competition has been revamped and will take the form of a mini Champions League after the first round.

Gibson said: "The structure of the UEFA Cup next season is very exciting. With the squad we hope to have, we would expect to reach the group stage and do well in it.''

The draw for the first round will be made in Monaco on Friday, August 27. The first-round matches will be played on Thursday, September 16 and 30.

Boro are seeded and if they progress through round one they will be among 40 teams making up eight groups of five.

The draw for the group stage will be made in Geneva on Tuesday, October 5, with the games scheduled for October 21, November 4, November 25 and December 1 and 2.

Four games will be played, two at home and two away, but no team will play another twice.

Meanwhile, Danny Mills is still in talks with Leeds over his future. The right-back, who spent last season on loan with Boro, is a target for Birmingham.

Mills and his agent, Neil Featherby, met Leeds managing director David Richmond and the club's agent representative, Phil Morrison, for length discussions. Featherby said: "We've had talks with Leeds in respect of Danny's future and, at the moment, those talks are still ongoing.''

Read more about Middlesbrough here.