TEESSIDE teenager Nathan Porritt is expected to be at the centre of a bidding war this summer after informing Middlesbrough officials that he will not be signing a contract with his hometown club.

Porritt, who unwittingly found himself at the centre of 'tapping up' allegations following last September's Panorama investigation into alleged corruption in football, will leave the Riverside when his youth terms expire this summer.

"I've informed Middlesbrough that Nathan is not signing his contract," said Porritt's agent, Peter Harrison. "He is going to leave."

The 17-year-old, a former pupil of King's Academy, is widely considered to be one of the hottest prospects of his generation, and his availability is set to spark interest all over the continent.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle have all been credited with an interest in the England youth international, while French clubs Lyon and Monaco are also monitoring his situation.

Porritt, who has recently recovered from a broken leg, sprang to prominence last autumn when Harrison was secretly filmed discussing an illegal approach from Premiership champions Chelsea.

Harrison was filmed in a meeting with Chelsea's director of youth football, Frank Arnesen, in which he claimed the Teessider was "99.9 per cent certain to leave Middlesbrough".

Harrison, who was also shown making contact with Liverpool, denied that he was a corrupt agent, but he was filmed admitting that Middlesbrough did not know he was touting Porritt to two of the club's rivals.

At the meeting at Chelsea's training ground, also attended by undercover reporter Knut auf dem Berge, Arnesen said he was willing to offer Porritt £150,000 to lure him away.

The youngster, who has remained out of the limelight since the programme was aired, is in Belgium this week as part of England's squad in the Under-17s European Championships.

England will take on Iceland, Belgium and Holland as they attempt to win a place in the World Championships in South Korea.

Boro reserves beat Manchester City 4-0 in their final game of the season last night.

After returning from a successful loan spell at Carlisle, Danny Graham opened the scoring for Boro with a close range finish.

Jason Euell added a second before the break, scoring from the penalty spot after Tony McMahon was brought down in the box.

Graham claimed his second goal of the evening in the 59th minute when he headed home at the back post.

McMahon rounded off the scoring with Boro's fourth, before both sides were reduced to ten men in injury time when Tom Craddock and Matthew Mills were dismissed