YANNICK BOLASIE will make a decision on his future in the next 24 hours, with Middlesbrough and Aston Villa both having offered the Everton winger a loan deal to the end of the season.

Having held face-to-face discussions with Middlesbrough manager Tony Pulis yesterday, Bolasie travelled to Aston Villa’s Boddymoor Heath training ground today to have similar talks with Steve Bruce.

The 29-year-old is expected to inform both clubs of his preferred destination tomorrow, with Boro officials still hopeful they will land the winger despite his trip to the West Midlands.

Boro and Villa are understood to be offering similar financial terms, and Everton have indicated that they are happy for Bolasie to join either Championship club.

The decision is therefore down to Bolasie, who has agreed to step down from the Premier League in an attempt to kick-start a career that has stalled badly in the last few months.

Everton boss Marco Silva told Bolasie he did not have a future at Goodison Park at the start of the summer, and while the former Crystal Palace winger had been hoping a top-flight club would make a move for him, neither Palace nor Burnley firmed up their initial interest ahead of the Premier League transfer deadline.

Pulis is hoping his experience of working with Bolasie will work in Boro’s favour, as the pair enjoyed a successful spell together at Selhurst Park. Bolasie has publicly stated that Pulis was able to get the best from him, and with Adama Traore having left Teesside earlier this summer, there is a slot in Boro’s starting line-up he could conceivably fill.

Villa can also offer the lure of regular first-team football though, with Robert Snodgrass having left Villa Park since the end of last season, and Bruce has spent today attempting to persuade Bolasie to join his side’s promotion push.

With their financial problems having eased significantly since the start of the summer, Villa are hoping to complete up to three loan deals ahead of the August 31 deadline.

As well as pursuing Bolasie, Boro have also spent this week trying to finalise a loan deal for Mo Besic, who spent the second half of last season at the Riverside.

At this stage, they are understood to have any significant competition for Besic’s signature, and the Bosnian remains keen to return to Teeside despite the collapse of a proposed permanent transfer earlier this month.

Boro have made four transfers so far this summer, bringing in Paddy McNair, Aden Flint, Andy Lonergan and Jordan Hugill.

The first three have all featured in the first team, but Hugill arrived from West Ham nursing a hamstring injury that has prevented him from making his Boro debut.

He has stepped up his training in the last week though, and made his first appearance in a Boro shirt this afternoon in a behind-closed-doors game with Hartlepool.

Hugill scored as a strong Boro side claimed a 4-1 win at Rockliffe Park, and also hit the woodwork as he moved a major step closer to a first-team appearance.

Having fallen behind in the early stages to Matthew Bates’ Pools side, Boro equalised when a McNair cross was deflected into the net.

Hugill fired Boro into the lead as he converted from close range after Ashley Fletcher’s shot was blocked on the line, although with Jonathan Woodgate in charge on the touchline, the Teessiders suffered a setback when Dimi Konstantopoulos was forced off with an injury.

The likes of Daniel Ayala, Grant Leadbitter and Marcus Tavernier were all replaced at half-time, and Boro ran out comfortable winners courtesy of second-half goals from Tyrone O’Neill and Stephen Walker.