MIDDLESBROUGH'S bid to land Italian Benito Carbone on loan could be scuppered by the player's demands for a permanent deal.

Carbone, who spent a couple of months playing for Derby this season, is understood to have held talks with Boro yesterday.

Riverside manager Steve McClaren is keen to sign the striker until the end of the current campaign, but the 30-year-old Bradford City forward is known to prefer a longer deal.

The Boro boss has revealed that there are still one or two things to iron out. He said: "A final decision has not been made yet but things could be sorted out soon."

McClaren watched Carbone score a superb free-kick in Bradford's 1-0 victory over Grimsby at Blundell Park on Saturday.

That is that sort of form which has led to the former Manchester United No 2 taking a gamble on a player whose scoring talent has never been in any doubt.

Bantams chairman Geoffrey Richmond, meanwhile, admitted that the former Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday forward's move hinges on whether he is prepared to waive his hopes of a full-time switch.

''The two clubs have agreed a loan deal for Benito Carbone with the view to a permanent transfer," said Richmond, who is reportedly paying the star around £40,000 a week.

''It is not a done deal as Beni has some deep reservations about another loan deal.

''The club has always maintained that in a perfect world Carbone would be playing in the Premiership and that is his ambition. I think Bradford supporters would respect that desire.''

Carbone was the subject of Boro interest on transfer deadline day last season, when Terry Venables and Bryan Robson were in charge.

But a disagreement over personal terms, after a medical had been passed, in the end proved costly as the 5pm cut-off point for transfers passed on March 22.

Carbone was hoping for a three-year deal but Boro were not prepared to offer him a contract any longer than the summer of 2002.

However, if Carbone does put pen-to-paper this time it is thought Boro will have been given a further option of brokering a deal to sign the mercurial attacker on a free transfer.

It will also mean that McClaren, who has had unsuccessful bids for Manchester United pair Diego Forlan and Dwight Yorke in recent weeks, will still have the funds available to bring in another big-money striker.

McClaren is desperate to find goals from somewhere with star-striker Alen Boksic sidelined with a troublesome calf injury.

Should Carbone complete the move to Boro he will go straight into the squad to face high-flying Leeds United at the Riverside on Saturday, and he could start alongside in-form Noel Whelan up front.

Carbone has scored four goals in five games for the Bantams this season.

Meanwhile, Boro are continuing to be linked with former Newcastle striker Jon Dahl Tomasson.

The Danish international, currently with Dutch side Feyenoord, was watched by McClaren last week.

Tomasson's agent Emile Miedema has indicated that he expects his player to leave Holland before this summer's World Cup.

But Miedema said: "There has been no contact from Middlesbrough or Leeds United, with me or Jon.

"We have not heard anything, but we are looking to begin talks with interested parties over the next few weeks.

"We are looking to have Jon's move sealed before the World Cup.

"We want him to have found his new home before he travels to Korea and Japan."

Tomasson is out of contract in the summer, and he will be free to talk to any interested clubs

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