Middlesbrough are hoping to complete their on-off £1m-plus move for Bradford City's versatile Dean Windass today after talks between the clubs were revived overnight.

Windass could become Boro's first signing since Terry Venables arrived last month by linking up with the squad before tomorrow's Premiership test against Liverpool.

Boro's £1m bid for the 31-year-old was turned down by City chairman Geoffrey Richmond last week with other clubs interested.

But Leicester, Newcastle, and Birmingham have all failed to follow up their initial inquiry and Boro have returned with a new, slightly improved, offer.

Now manager Bryan Robson is waiting for an answer and is hopeful the move will go ahead in time for the trip to Anfield.

Windass is available as part of City's rebuilding plans, with Jim Jefferies keen to unload the club's big earners as well as some of the players over 30.

Midfielder Dan Petrescu joined Southampton for £1m last week and Benito Carbone and Stan Collymore are now out of the manager's plans.

Windass, who can play in midfield or up front, is a first-team regular but Jefferies is desperate to generate funds by cutting the average age of the squad, the oldest in the Premiership.

The former Hull, Aberdeen and Oxford forward was top scorer last season and is again leading the club goal chart, despite playing in midfield for most of the season.

Boro are almost certainly looking at the strongly-built Windass as a player who can beef up their midfield, adding physical strength as well as a goal threat from that area - something they do not possess.

Meanwhile, former Boro striker Marco Branca has failed to follow up his threat to hit the club with a FIFA-backed claim for £500,000 in wages.

And yesterday Robson insisted: "We have treated him very fairly."

Branca set a deadline for the payment, which he claimed after his contract was cancelled because of injury.

It passed ten days ago and Robson added: "We have handled the situation by the book, if not better than that, and we have the support of the FA and the Premier League."

Branca's goals shot Boro to promotion nearly three years ago after a £1m move from Inter Milan, and he is still playing in Serie B.

Chelsea could be facing action from the injured Pierluigi Casiraghi and Robson added: "The same thing seems to be happening there. But we still wish Marco all the best."

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