AUSTRIAN Emanuel Pogatetz will arrive on Teesside early next week to undergo a medical and complete a £1.5m move to Middlesbrough.

Boro have been pursuing the 22-year-old since February and Bayer Leverkusen agreed to sell him after boss Steve McClaren flew out to Germany at the start of last week.

Pogatetz has been on loan at Spartak Moscow in recent months but has agreed terms with the Teessiders and will conclude a move on either Monday or Tuesday.

The left-back will provide vital competition for Franck Queudrue in that role while it will also allow the Frenchman to play as a centre-back when required.

Pogatetz first came to the attention of McClaren when he played an influential part when Grazer AK pushed Boro close in the UEFA Cup last 32 earlier this year.

And he will become the club's second signing of the summer, after Aiyegbeni Yakubu's £7.5m arrival from Portsmouth.

McClaren remains determined to add a new midfielder to his playing staff, with Juventus' Stephen Appiah still high on his list of targets.

Boro's reluctance to meet Juve's £5m asking price has led to a stand-off. However, the Italian champions are now thought to have lowered their valuation to £3m.

That would be more tempting to McClaren, although he is known to want to bring the Ghanaian in on a season-long loan initially - something Juventus are keen to avoid.

With Bolo Zenden's situation still not sorted out - he is refusing to sign the contract that was offered to him at the end of the season and courted by Liverpool - Boro could yet be looking for two new midfielders.

However, it is likely that Brazilian Doriva will sign a one-year extension when he returns to Britain later this month and that will at least ensure the squad is depleted any further.

Boro chairman Steve Gibson is desperate to strengthen the Boro squad to try to give his beloved club every chance of pushing for a Champions League place in the not too distant future.

He said: "What we are working towards, year on year, is being able to achieve a place in the top six and then maintain it. That is easy to say but harder to do."

"We are hoping to be in Europe more often that not.

The first target has to be the UEFA Cup but we also want to be able to challenge for a Champions League spot too."

* Boro's deadline for season ticket holders to renew at discounted prices is July 7, while the deadline for the Boro Brick Road has now been extended to Monday.

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