Middlesbrough line up a club record £12m bid for Alves
Middlesbrough are preparing to pay a club record £12million for Dutch-based Brazil striker Afonso Alves.
Chairman Steve Gibson and manager Gareth Southgate met the Heerenveen player's representatives on Teesside yesterday in a bid to beat Manchester City and AZ Alkmaar to the 26-year-old's signature.
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In demand: Alves' scoring feats have interested clubs lining up
Middlesbrough's battle among the Barclays Premier League strugglers has exposed the club's lack of firepower following the summer departures of Mark Viduka and Aiyegbeni Yakubu.
Alves, who started his career with Atletico Mineiro in Brazil, was a Boro target in the summer, but Yakubu's late switch to Everton left Southgate with little time to arrange a deal and he signed Mido from Tottenham.
But the Egyptian is still weeks away from fitness and Alves is seen as an ideal solution.
The striker, who has eight Brazil caps, scored regularly for Orgryte and FC Malmo in Sweden before joining Heerenveen two years ago.
He was top scorer in Holland last season with 34 goals and has continued his rich vein of goalscoring form this season, netting 10 goals including the fastest hat-trick in Eredivisie history.
Although they hope to sign Alves, Boro are still interested in Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi.
Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, who would accept £2m for the former England Under 21 striker, left Ameobi out of the FA Cup draw at Stoke on Sunday.
