MIDDLESBROUGH were trying to remain hopeful of landing Ben Watson last night, but after failing to agree personal terms at the Riverside Stadium the in-demand midfielder was on the verge of joining Wigan Athletic.

After undergoing a medical at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training base on Thursday, Watson had talks with Wigan boss Steve Bruce yesterday after they also agreed to meet his £2m valuation.

With no confirmation from the JJB Stadium of the proposed transfer, there is still a chance that the move could breakdown, particularly given how another of his admirers, Fulham, are armed with £5.5m from Jimmy Bullard’s switch to Hull City.

Blackburn and even Newcastle United were also considering 11th hour moves for his signature yesterday, but Fulham would provide an opportunity for him to remain close to his London roots, even if Wigan remain favourites.

It would be a major blow to Boro manager Gareth Southgate if he was to fail in his attempts to land the 23-year-old, as the former England Under- 21 international is available at a price chairman Steve Gibson felt he could match.

With nine days to go until the transfer window closes, Southgate could find it difficult to find an alternative while knowing he needs to add a new midfielder to his ranks to boost Boro’s chances of staying in the Premier League.

Southgate, who sanctioned the departure of Egyptian striker Mido to Wigan yesterday following the arrival of Marlon King in the opposite direction, knew that a failure to get the deal done on Thursday left the door open for other clubs.

And Middlesbrough are thought to have balked at wage demands of somewhere between £20-25,000 for a player that has spent the majority of his career in the Championship.

While Wigan would normally be reluctant to pay such wages, Steve Bruce has had his arm in the transfer market strengthened by the sales of £14m Wilson Palacios to Tottenham and, last night, the £3.5m departure of Emile Heskey to Aston Villa.

Fulham would also be reluctant to match his personal demands, although the £2m fee is no longer a problem following the sale of Bullard.

Watson, out of contract at Selhurst Park in the summer, wants to test himself at Premier League level and is determined to get the best possible deal having knocked back a reputed £15,000-a-week contract at Palace last summer.

And while he would be willing to head for either Wigan or Middlesbrough if the contract was right, the player is hoping that Fulham or West Ham come in for him.

Southgate, hoping to guide Boro into the fifth round of the FA Cup by defeating Wolves today, knows that securing Premier League status is essential this season and he had felt the two acquisitions of Watson and King would have had a major effect on their chances.

“Having fresh faces coming in is a good thing,” said Southgate. “When new players come in, their team-mates always want to impress them.

They are both good players so they can add to what we’ve got, and change is good, it gives people different things to focus on. It will give us different aspects to our game as well.”

Southgate is unable to call on new signing King, on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent £3m deal, at Wolves because he is cup-tied after figuring in Hull’s third round tie with Newcastle.

And Hull manager Phil Brown has outlined his reasons for cutting short the season- long loan that he had agreed for King after his runin with the striker ahead of last week’s defeat to Arsenal.

“If there was interest from elsewhere, Wigan, ourselves and whoever could exercise the right for Marlon to move,”

said Brown. “There has been a well-documented fall-out, although it was more of a disagreement about team selection.

“It is my decision. He can voice his opinion in private, one to one, but in front of the players it is a bit different.

For me it was time to part our ways.”

King’s arrival at the Riverside Stadium was quickly followed by the departure of Mido, who Southgate has been looking to move on for the last six weeks.

But despite the former Tottenham forward’s controversial reputation, Wigan manager Bruce is expecting to get the best out of him in the hope of pushing through a permanent deal in the closeseason.

“Mido brings vast experience to the table,” Bruce said.

“He has a good Premier League pedigree, having scored goals at Tottenham and Middlesbrough, and he has also played for some huge European clubs where he gained Champions League and UEFA Cup experience.

“He is still a relatively young man with potentially his best years ahead of him, and hopefully he can produce a bit of magic for us during the rest of the season.”

■ Middlesbrough's Ladies face Women's FA Cup holders Arsenal at Billingham Sythonia in the fifth round of this year's competition tomorrow.

Tickets are priced £3 for adults and £1 for concessions and that includes a matchday programme which will be available on match day.