MIDDLESBROUGH have had initial discussions aimed at securing the future of Grant Leadbitter in a bid to keep him at the Riverside Stadium, with Aitor Karanka convinced he will still have the midfielder beyond this season.

Leadbitter has entered the final 12 months of his existing deal and, as things stand, he will become a free agent next summer.

Karanka is keen to guard against the possibility of him departing, knowing how Middlesbrough have rejected a number of offers from other clubs for him over the last 16 months. 

The 28-year-old has scored six goals in seven appearances this season and his double at Huddersfield Town on Saturday ensured Boro head for Cardiff City tonight on the back of a much-needed victory.

Leadbitter’s first goal at the John Smith’s Stadium was an incredible 35-yard free-kick which curled high in to the top corner of Alex Smithies’ net in the first half, drawing comparisons with previous wonder-strikes delivered by deadball specialist Roberto Carlos, the former Real Madrid and Brazil man.

But Leadbitter’s form has had Karanka purring and the boss admits that he would like to have the player’s future sorted sooner rather than later, even if he is unconcerned by the situation.

“Roberto Carlos was a little bit better!” joked Karanka, a former team-mate at the Bernabeu with the Brazilian. “But Grant clearly has the quality from free-kicks too!”

He added: “Grant has one more year. I have the same thoughts about Grant now that I did when I was signing players in the summer.

“I think he wants to be here in the future, I think it is about choosing the right moment to do things, but I’m not concerned about Grant’s situation. He has a one year contract. We were speaking with his agent in the transfer window and we will keep in touch.”

Despite signing 12 new players before the transfer deadline on September 1, Karanka has had no qualms in making Leadbitter captain in the absence of Jonathan Woodgate.

“Grant has not surprised me because I have liked him since the moment I arrived here,” said Karanka. “He is the kind of player who gives 120 per cent. He is a very good player and he is the kind who you might need to rest occasionally. He never wants to rest though, he always wants to play. I know how important it is to score goals too and he has done that.”

Despite playing at the hub of the midfield, Leadbitter is the side’s leading goalscorer. Now Karanka is keen for his forwards to get the goalscoring groove after adding to his options.

Kike has found the net three times since his arrival from Real Murcia, but the manager wants more even if he is not ready to give starting spots to Jelle Vossen or Patrick Bamford just yet.

He said: “When the players are 100 per cent fit that will help. I said when Kike arrived here, he needed time but we were lucky because he started to score early.

“Now Bamford, Vossen and (Yanic) Wildschut are here, we have more options. It is very difficult. The most important thing is the players and getting them fit. It’s the fitness, confidence. We can work on the pitch on scoring goals, but when you are completely fit your confidence is much higher.

“The pressure can grow on yourself as a player if you are not fully fit. The most important bit now is to win the games. We have plenty of players who can score goals now. I have to be careful with their fitness and choose carefully when they are ready to play 90 minutes.

He added: “The day when we are perfect, 100 per cent will be the day that the players who came in at the last moment will be fit. At the moment Vossen, Patrick, Wildschut are not fit. We have to be patient and get them fit as soon as possible.”

Karanka is satisfied with the depth of his squad, even if he has not ruled out further moves in the emergency loan market should the right players become available.

And he wants Boro to build on Saturday’s win, accepting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be desperate for his Cardiff players to turn in an improved display after losing 4-2 at home to Norwich City.

Karanka said: “Against Norwich they were defeated so they will want to show everybody the kind of team that they really are. For this we have to be prepared, we can’t think it is going to be an easy game. If we think it will be easy then we will make a very big mistake.

“The Championship is a very difficult division and I don’t have doubts that Cardiff will be high in the division. They have a very good squad, a very good group and a good coach.”

Cardiff City

Marshall

Brayford Morrison Connolly Fabio

Ralls

Pilkington Gunnarsson Whittingham

Jones Macheda

Tomlin Kike

Reach Leadbitter Clayton Adomah

Friend Ayala Gibson Abella

Konstantopoulos

Middlesbrough