MIDDLESBROUGH manager Steve McClaren continued his Riverside clearout yesterday with the departure of two strikers.

Andy Campbell joined Cardiff City for £950,000 after a successful loan spell, whilst Colombian Hamilton Ricard has signed for Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia on a free transfer.

Campbell, who saw a move to Crystal Palace collapse earlier in the season, joins the Bluebirds having scored six goals in five games for the Second Division club, including a hat-trick against Oldham.

Former Boro boss Lennie Lawrence, now in charge at Cardiff, is confident Campbell will be a success: "He's done well here and I believe he has a chance of making a decent Premiership player."

Ricard, out of contract in the summer, will link up with his new teammates next week after snubbing moves to several Nationwide clubs, including West Brom.

The 28-year-old Colombian international, a £2m signing from Deportivo Cali in 1998, was Boro's top scorer for two seasons but a dip in form and the arrival of new boss McClaren has limited Ricard to just a handful of appearances this season.

Campbell and Ricard are the latest big names to leave the club as McClaren looks to trim the clubs wage bill in a bid to bring in new players in the summer.

One player McClaren is keen to see at the Riverside on a permanent basis is Franck Queudrue, who has impressed since joining the club on loan from Lens in October.

The French defender is available for £2m and yesterday's departures could pave the way for McClaren to make a move for the 23-year-old, who has made the left-back spot his own.

Meanwhile, Welsh keeper Mark Crossley has agreed a new two-year contract with the club, ending speculation he was about to leave when his current deal expires in the summer.

Australian pair Luke Wilksire and Brad Jones have been handed two-year extensions to their contracts along with Stuart Parnaby, whilst Brazilian Arturo Bernhardt has had his contract extended by a further 12 months.

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