MIDDLESBROUGH are poised to follow up the capture of Mark Viduka by pulling off another major transfer coup in the shape of Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink.

The ambitious Teesside outfit finally completed the £4.5m transfer of Viduka from Leeds yesterday, confirming he had signed a three-year deal, with an option of a fourth 12 months.

But it is the news that Hasselbaink is on the verge of joining the powerful Australian at the Riverside Stadium that will shock the rest of the Premiership.

The prolific Dutch international was in the North-East yesterday for a medical and talks with Boro after being told he can leave Chelsea for nothing this summer.

Hasselbaink - despite 70 goals in 119 Premiership appearances for the Blues - has been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Jose Mourinho.

Boro boss Steve McClaren, a close friend of Mourinho, has now lined up the former Leeds forward as Viduka's new strike partner.

It is exciting times for the club and chief executive Keith Lamb admitted there more players are on on the way capturing both Viduka and full-back Michael Reiziger in the past four days.

"If you look at the squad we are assembling it shows how ambitious this club is and we are not finished yet," said Lamb, who is also in talks with Bolo Zenden over moving to the North-East and has attempted to sign Patrick Kluivert and Ayegbeni Yakubu.

"I'm confident that Mark Viduka will not be the last we will introduce as a new signing."

Viduka did not take much persuading to join the club by McClaren and Lamb, and the forward is expecting 'world-class' players to follow him through the Riverside Stadium doors.

The 28-year-old, aiming to become Boro's first 20-goal-a-season man since Fabrizio Ravanelli in the 1996-97 season, wants to finally get his hands on some English silverware after four trophy-less years at Elland Road.

Viduka insists Boro should be setting their sights on claiming a top four place this coming season. "Realistically this club should be aiming for a Champions League spot and that's why I came here. There are so many international players here and it reminds me of when I went to Leeds because there are expectations here now," said Viduka.

"Playing in Europe is what I'm here for and I want to play at the highest level. I came to Middlesbrough because the team is capable of achieving something. The next three years are the most important of my career and I want to win trophies.

"The next three years of my life are probably the most important."

Viduka, who was set to sign for Boro in January only to be thwarted by the closure of the transfer window, is thought to have waived around half of the £2m owed to him by cash-strapped Leeds - the factor that held up proceedings.

The former Celtic man has mixed emotions about following the likes of Paul Robinson, Alan Smith, James Milner and Dominic Matteo out of Leeds this summer.

But he insists he will always look back on his time with the Whites with great fondness. "I gave my best for the whole time I was there - I was top goalscorer every year - and those sort of things go out of the window when times are tough," said Viduka, who hit 59 league goals in 126 games for Leeds.

''But I had a great time at Leeds. I enjoyed my time there and made a lot of friends, and I was proud to be a Leeds player.

''There's an element of relief, there's also an element of disappointment because it was very disappointing that Leeds went down and the way that the club has been over the last couple of years.

''But it's good to turn over a new leaf and start afresh, and I think there's no better club for me to do that than Middlesbrough.''

Meanwhile, Boro have confirmed that striker Joseph-Desire Job has finally signed a two-year deal with the club