DANNY Mills last night urged Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren to bring Leeds United teammates Alan Smith and Mark Viduka to the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Szilard Nemeth and Juninho currently top Boro's goalscoring charts despite having scored just nine goals apiece this term, and McClaren has made no attempt to hide his desire to bolster his strikeforce.

Mills, who has spent the season on loan from Elland Road, has first-hand experience of playing alongside England international Smith and experienced Australian Viduka.

And the full-back, who is expected to be part of Sven Goran Eriksson's England squad in Portugal this summer, is confident the duo could help Boro progress even further next season.

"It's not up to me to say who should or shouldn't come here," said Mills, who will make his 37th Boro appearance as the club's Premiership campaign draws to a close at Fratton Park on Saturday.

"But I know we have been linked with Alan Smith and Mark Viduka and, if we got them and kept Bolo (Zenden), we could be talking about 30 goals from the front two. That's something any team could do with."

Signing new players is one thing, but McClaren's first summer priority will be holding onto the stars he already has at the Riverside.

Centre-half Ugo Ehiogu has already committed himself to a new two-year deal with Boro, while Gareth Southgate and Mark Schwarzer have entered into talks aimed at securing their long-term futures before they enter the final year of their current contracts.

Doriva and Joseph-Desire Job are both out of contract in the summer, while Zenden and Mills' loan deals are also due to expire after Saturday's swansong.

Zenden has hinted that he would like to stay on Teesside but, with another year remaining on his current Chelsea deal, much could depend on the attitude of the expected new manager at Stamford Bridge.

Mills' future is also still up in the air but, with Leeds desperate to cut costs following their relegation to the Nationwide League, it is increasingly unlikely that it will lie at Elland Road.

"I've had a quick chat with the manager and he has told me that he wants me here," said the 26-year-old. "I presume there will be a fire sale at Leeds now and who knows what's going to happen.

"Players could be a little bit cheaper and it might be easier to get players out of the club than it was previously - I don't know."

l Manchester United striker Diego Forlan has expressed his determination to stay at Old Trafford beyond this summer, writes TIM HANLON.

The Uruguayan has found first-team opportunities increasingly limited over the second half of the Premiership season, following the acquisition of Louis Saha from Fulham and the return to fitness of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Reports indicate United might be prepared to sacrifice Forlan and several other players this summer to raise funds for a transfer spree.

But the 24-year-old said he would ideally like to stay and extend his career with the deposed Premiership champions, who will finish third after this weekend's final round of league games.

His aim is to become Ruud van Nistelrooy's regular partner in United's attack, but much depends on whether Sir Alex Ferguson decides Forlan is an expendable asset.

''Van Nistelrooy is a great goal scorer and he is one of the best,'' said Forlan.

''For me it is great here and I am learning off the other players like Ruud and Ole. I want to play, I am ready for my opportunity and I want to win titles here.

''Ferguson is a great manager and you can see how he has influenced the players that have worked with him all the time. He wants to win and he expects that from all the players.''

Forlan was close to joining Boro before United persuaded him to join them, and the transfer to Old Trafford has yet to be the raging success he would have hoped for.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.