MIDDLESBROUGH are keeping an eye on Robert Koren's situation in the hope they can free up sufficient funds to bring in Hull City's creative midfielder.

The Slovenian is seeking clarity at the KC Stadium after an uncertain few days in which head of football Adam Pearson has had his contract terminated and manager Nicky Barmby has been suspended.

That is understood to have alerted Leicester City, where former Tigers boss Nigel Pearson is now in charge, and it has been reported they have already looked in to his availability.

But Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray is also keen on signing the 31-year-old he first brought to the English league from Lillestrom during his time in charge of West Bromwich Albion five years ago.

Mowbray is keen to put his own stamp on the Boro squad he inherited from Gordon Strachan 18 months ago and Koren remains a player he admires.

Koren's existing two-year contract is due to expire this summer, although there is an option of a third year and Hull have vowed to retain all of their key players.

The player's agent, Zoran Krneta, moved yesterday to a seek clarification over the managerial situation at the club, urging Hull's owners Assem and Ehab Allam to sort things out.

In an interview with the Hull Daily Mail, Krneta said: "We understand the owners and the desires, but right now, in addition to the latest confusion regarding manager and head of football, there are a lot of issues that the owners to address, sooner rather than later."

Koren scored ten Championship goals in a team that finished outside the play-offs, which is exactly the sort of goalscoring return Mowbray could do with next season.

But the Middlesbrough manager knows his hand in the transfer market has been weakened following the failure to secure promotion back to the Premier League this season.

He is not in a position where he can make the sort of moves in the transfer market he would like until the future of his own out of contract players have become clearer.

Mowbray has targets in mind and, among others, he will consider taking top-flight clubs' younger players on loan when the new season nears in August.

Before he can seriously start to think about making additions he needs to know what sort of wage bill he has to work to.

Freed Jonathan Franks, Jonathan Grounds and Luke Dobbie's relatively inexpensive weekly wage will be off the pay-roll, while Barry Robson's decent Championship wage will also stop when he moves to Vancouver Whitecaps.

But the situations of the other seven players out of contract are less clear. Mowbray has indicated to them that almost all, if not all, will have to take pay cuts to even stand a chance of staying at the Riverside. All have been given time to consider the options.

Justin Hoyte, Tony McMahon and Matthew Bates - whose situation is different because he must prove his fitness after a fifth cruciate ligament injury - are the biggest earners who would have to take the biggest financial hit.

And Mowbray said: "They will be looking throughout the summer for options, they will still be getting their full salary, probably until July.

"Why would they make a decision or commitment now to sign for a lot less money when they've got three more months on the higher salary?"