PORTSMOUTH have underlined their determination to hold on to Middlesbrough transfer target Ayegbeni Yakubu by offering Maccabi Haifa £3m for their 50 per cent share in the striker.

The Israeli side are due half of any future transfer fee as part of last summer's £400,000 deal that saw the Nigerian international move to Fratton Park.

Yakubu's value has rocketed after he scored 19 goals during his maiden season in the Premiership, and fresh talks between the two clubs have revalued the 21-year-old at £6m.

Portsmouth are prepared to offer Maccabi Haifa half of that for full ownership of Yakubu - a move that would seriously undermine Boro's attempts to capture the striker.

Yakubu is one of three frontmen on boss Steve McClaren's summer wish list along with Dutch star Patrick Kluivert and Australian Mark Viduka.

But Pompey boss Harry Redknapp is desperate to keep Yakubu on the south coast, a fact underlined by his willingness to sacrifice a proportion of his summer budget on paying off the Nigerian's former club.

Boro have not given up hope of signing Kluivert despite the player's dismissal of their interest last week, but the Barcelona forward will put his future on hold for the next month in order to concentrate on Holland's Euro 2004 campaign in Portugal.

Viduka's immediate future is equally uncertain, with the 28-year-old still understood to be holding out for a move to Spain.

Leeds officials are aware of Middlesbrough's interest and have informed Boro chairman Steve Gibson that they are willing to accept £4m for the frontman.

Meanwhile, a hip injury has ruled Mark Schwarzer out of Australia's three remaining World Cup qualifiers.

The Boro keeper picked up the problem in last week's friendly against Turkey and it has not responded to preliminary treatment.

Schwarzer has returned to Sydney to receive treatment from the Australian Soccer Association's medical staff and will play no further part in Australia's hectic international schedule.

The Socceroos kept their World Cup 2006 qualification campaign on track yesterday with the simplest of 9-0 wins over minnows Tahiti.

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