MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren's transfer kitty could be swelled by £7m if a High Court judge today endorses the Premier League's guilty verdict over Liverpool's move for Christian Ziege.

Both Liverpool and Ziege, now with Tottenham, were fined two months ago when a Premier League disciplinary commission ruled they had been in breach of transfer regulations.

I revealed in September that Liverpool had become the first Premiership club to be charged with making an illegal approach to a player.

They were subsequently fined £20,000, while Ziege received a £10,000 penalty.

But Boro's delight at the commission's findings was tempered by what they felt was the inadequate punishment meted out to the Anfield club and the German international.

Hence the determination of chairman Steve Gibson to seek substantial damages for the loss of wing-back Ziege, who quit in August 2000 only a year after joining Boro from AC Milan in a £4m deal.

Ziege exercised an escape clause in his contract which stipulated that he could speak to any club offering at least £5.5m for his signature.

Boro insisted Ziege had colluded with Liverpool over their bid, and now say they were in receipt of alternative offers of £7.5m from Rangers and Chelsea.

In what is being seen as a test case, Gibson believes that Boro are also taking a stand for the greater good of the game.

But a ruling in Boro's favour, which would undoubtedly be subject to appeal, could have far-reaching repercussions for football and open the floodgates to a tidal wave of similar complaints.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.