MIDDLESBROUGH are in pole position to land Stewart Downing and could even do a deal with West Ham United before Aitor Karanka’s squad return for pre-season training next Monday.

The Hammers are ready to let Downing leave this summer and are in discussions with Boro, and other clubs, which seem set to end with the playmaker making an incredible return to the Riverside Stadium.

The 30-year-old has also caught the eye of Sunderland, Leicester and Swansea, while former boss Steve McClaren was yesterday linked with trying to take him to Newcastle United.

But Middlesbrough are understood to be putting the most work in to try to get a deal done after Sunderland, who recently had a verbal offer rejected by West Ham, failed to reach an agreement.

Steve Gibson, the Boro chairman, is determined to get Downing back on Teesside and it would be a massive statement of intent if he can persuade the ex-England international to step down to the Championship.

It will be hoped the former Liverpool and Aston Villa winger, who was sold to Villa Park for £12m following relegation in 2009, can give the Riverside and Karanka’s squad a huge lift and provide the extra quality required to secure automatic promotion next season.

West Ham are looking for around £5m for the player following their capture of Marseille’s Dimitri Payet and new boss Slaven Bilic is happy for the sale to bring some cash back in.

Middlesbrough’s determination should end fruitfully, but there will be plenty of negotiating to be done as to how to structure a deal for a player who still has two years to run on a reputed £80,000 a week contract at West Ham.

It will also affect the rest of the summer in terms of transfers for Middlesbrough, although re-signing a player of such Premier League quality is seen as an opportunity not to be missed as Karanka shapes his squad.

There are a number of areas where he needs new players because of the voids left by the departures of Dean Whitehead, Emmanuel Ledesma, Seb Hines and a number of loan signings.

The loan market is likely to be exploited once more, with Chelsea’s Tomas Kalas known to be one of those set for a return. Lewis Baker, another Blues youngster who had been tipped to make the switch, has completed a season-long loan to Vitesse Arnhem.

There remains interest in Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes but it is hard to imagine how Boro will be able to pay to secure the services of Downing as well as landing the £12m-rated Rhodes.

Karanka would like to have at least one signing to call on when Boro head for York City for a first friendly of the summer in 12 days time.