MIDDLESBROUGH target Ricardo Rocha has increased the chances of a move to the Premiership this summer by claiming he does not receive the credit he deserves in Portugal.

Boro are on the look out for a new centre-back and it is understood the £3m-rated centre-back is high on manager Steve McClaren's list of targets.

Benfica, despite winning the league title for the first time in 11 years, are ready to cash in on the 26-year-old if a club can meet their valuation.

And Boro, even though they have splashed out £7.5m on striker Aiyegbeni Yakubu, would not struggle to do that.

Ricardo Rocha claims not to know any names of clubs interested in him but insists a move to a bigger league would appeal if it meant him being noticed more.

"It's said that there are Spanish and English clubs interested but I don't know," he said. "It was pleasing in the sense that it meant my work was being recognised, because I don't think I get the recognition I deserve in Portugal.

"It was because of this that I wanted to leave at the beginning of the season. I think that when Portuguese players move abroad, people have a different kind of respect for them."

McClaren is looking to find competition for Gareth Southgate, Ugo Ehiogu and Chris Riggott at the heart of the defence - with only veteran Colin Cooper and the inexperienced Andrew Davies currently available as back-up.

It is not the only position McClaren is seeking to fill - with left-back, and midfield priorities.

The manager's need for new faces could deteriorate if Dutch midfielder Bolo Zenden rejects the offer to stay in favour of a move elsewhere.

Boro are continuing to talk with the player's agent, his father Pierre, but he is holding negotiations with a number of other clubs.

It is understood Zenden, keen to play at the highest level possible, is due to have further talks with Liverpool later this week about a possible switch to Anfield.

And the Reds' hopes of signing the Holland international will have been boosted by the news they have been handed a place in the Champions League again next season - following May's success in the European Cup final.

There has been talk of Zenden being targeted by Newcastle but Magpies' boss Graeme Souness is likely to switch his targets if deals for Emre and Scott Parker are concluded soon.

It is thought confirmation about the pair's move to St James' Park is imminent and, providing that happens, Souness will then focus on deals for strikers and defenders.

* Bryan Robson has opened the door for Argentinian legend Gabriel Batistuta to team up with West Brom's coaching staff during pre-season training.

Batistuta, the former Roma striker, was linked with a coaching role at the Hawthorns last season when Robson received a call from an agent, but a move failed to materialise.

But after steering Albion clear of relegation from the Barclays Premiership, former England captain Robson admits he is interested in the prospect of Batistuta linking up with the Baggies this summer - if the original offer was genuine.

''I had a phone call from an agent saying Batistuta would be interested in working with me and my staff because he wants to be a coach,'' said the Albion boss.

''I don't know whether it was truthful or whether the agent was just fishing.

"At the time, things were running smoothly within the club and I didn't want to upset anything or anyone here by bringing someone new in.

''If Batistuta does genuinely want to come in during pre-season training to have a look at the way we train and have a bit of an input with the strikers, I would certainly look at that.

''He could be a very good coach because of the talent he had, his reputation as a player, skill and knowledge of the game.

''But it wouldn't be as a player-coach,'' Robson added.

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