MIDDLESBROUGH are deep in Valencia-based negotiations to land full-back Antonio Barragan – and he could head to Teesside quicker than top striker target Alvaro Negredo.

While Boro’s message to the Spanish club and Negredo is that they are not willing to match his weekly wage packet of more than £100,000 during the term of a proposed season-long loan, they have stepped up their pursuit of Barragan.

A delegation has travelled to Spain in a bid to tie up the terms of the deal for Barragan, who has 12 months remaining on his contract at the Mestalla.

The 29-year-old, who spent the early part of his career with Liverpool, is someone head coach Aitor Karanka is familiar with from when he was in charge of the Spanish youth system and has kept an eye on him since returning to Spain.

It could be Barragan moves on a season-long loan with a view to a move as a free agent next summer, although Valencia are thought to be seeking a fee.

Valencia are happy to move him on after five seasons following his £1.2m move from Vallodolid in July 2011 and it should be a far easier deal to complete than the Negredo loan.

Negredo is interested in a move to Boro after discussions with Karanka and it is hoped he will arrive before the end of the week, when the Premier league new-boys head to Marbella.

But the fact the Boro squad will head to Spain for a week’s training – and a few likely behind closed doors friendlies - means he could just meet up with the players there if a deal takes longer than is hoped.

That is how things are shaping up at this stage, with sources claiming they will not be willing to pay the full extent of the wage he is taking home at Valencia.

A loan agreement with a future fee of around the between £8m to £10m has been reached between the clubs, but what has prevented a quick deal is his complex contract involving payments still due to his former club Manchester City.

It is also understood there are bonuses and others commitments agreed on the reputed €7m-a-year salary and Boro want that reduced before they give the go-ahead to conclude the deal.

Even without the extras on the contract, Negredo will have to take a hit on his wages to put him in line with other players in the squad – and Boro are weighing up moves for alternatives.

Negredo has only scored five goals in each of his two seasons back in Spain and Valencia are keen to reduce their wage bill by offloading him having forked out €27m last summer following an initial loan.

The 30-year-old did score 23 goals in 48 matches in his single Premier League season at the Etihad Stadium.

Boro have already secured five new players this summer and Karanka would like more. Defensively the boss is looking for reinforcements and Borussia Dortmund’s Neven Subotic remains a target after he was shown around the Riverside last week.

The 27-year-old Serbian is not short of admirers, however, and Arsenal are among those credited with a strong interest. The centre-back has talked to a few clubs after Dortmund lowered their valuation to around the €5m mark.

And the agent of Tomas Kalas claims Boro, who have been linked with interest in Inter Milan’s former Newcastle defender Davide Santon, are keen to take him back to the North-East.

Kalas has spent the majority of the last two years on loan on Teesside even if he made few starts in last season’s promotion-winning campaign.

Middlesbrough are working on other deals first, although the Czech defender’s agent says a fresh loan could be agreed with Chelsea in the coming weeks.

Mithat Halis, the agent, said: “Kalas wants to stay in England next season, preferably in the Premier League. He is happy at Chelsea but Middlesbrough is interested.”

Kalas hinted at the end of his loan that he would be tempted by a permanent switch.