MIDDLESBROUGH have all but conceded defeat in their battle to beat the clock and land Leeds striker Mark Viduka before today's transfer window slams shut.

The Australian international is due back in England today after Leeds granted him compassionate leave to visit his sick father in Melbourne.

Although Leeds acting chairman Trevor Birch insists none of the current playing staff will leave before the 5pm transfer deadline, Boro claim they are close to agreeing a fee - reported to be around £4m - for 28-year-old Viduka.

But the logistics of pulling off the move have presented Boro with seemingly insurmountable problems.

Boro are understood to have been in touch with Viduka's agent, but have yet to discuss personal terms with the player.

It is believed crisis-torn Leeds, desperate to reduce overwhelming debts, still owe £7m to the finance company whose loans funded the £6m signing of Viduka from Celtic nearly four years ago.

Boro are willing to better the £3.5m offer Leeds turned down for Viduka from Manchester United.

But Boro manager Steve McClaren admitted: "The deadline is 5pm, he's still in Australia, and time is running out. It's going to be very difficult to do a deal. I haven't spoken to him and neither has the chairman.

"But there has been contact between the clubs and that contact is ongoing.

"You never know what might happen - just look at last year. Stranger things have happened.''

McClaren was referring to a year ago when Boro were the busiest club in the country on deadline day as they completed four signings.

Michael Ricketts put pen to paper on a £2.5m move from Bolton at five minutes to midnight after Malcolm Christie and Chris Riggott had arrived in a combined £3m deal from Derby and Brazilian Doriva had joined, initially on loan, from Spanish side Celta Vigo.

Doriva has formed an effective midfield partnership with George Boateng, and McClaren said: "George and Doriva have been the difference for us this season. I remember deadline day last January. Someone phoned me in the morning and the agent, Barry Silkman, did well for me.

"He put me on to Doriva at the last minute and we took a bit of a gamble because we didn't know much about him.

"But he was highly rated in Spain and Juninho also recommended him, and he's done very well.''

Boro are also still trying to push through a £1m deal for on-loan Leeds right-back Danny Mills.

The England international was left out of Saturday's 3-0 win at Leeds, even though McClaren indicated on the eve of the game that he would play.

It has emerged that Mills had major reservations about playing against his parent club in their current plight, but McClaren insisted he alone made the decision to omit the defender.

"I picked a team I felt could win this match and it was my decision,'' said McClaren, who had earlier stressed he would have "no hesitation'' in sticking with Mills for the visit to Elland Road.

McClaren, whose side are now preparing for tomorrow's rearranged Carling Cup semi-final, second leg against Arsenal at the Riverside, was delighted with Boro's biggest win of the season.

He said: "We've been threatening to do that - it was a great performance.

"We talked about the Arsenal game being in the back of people's minds, but the players knew how important this match was to us.

"You have to look at the bigger picture, which is always the League, but it was great preparation for Tuesday.

"We've got 15 points away from home this season and we only got 12 last year, but we need to be more ruthless like we were here.''

Centre-back Ugo Ehiogu is understood to be struggling to be fit for tomorrow's game after being ruled out on Saturday with a reaction to a groin injury.

McClaren said Andrew Davies, who replaced Mills, "took a nasty whack'' and the teenager is undergoing treatment.

"I thought he was tremendous,'' said McClaren, who preferred Davies in his starting line-up to Stuart Parnaby. "He came in and gave a great performance."

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