Middlesbrough are reported to be close to agreeing terms for next season with out-of-contract Blues midfielder Grant Leadbitter. Players whose deals are up in the summer are able to talk to other clubs about new contracts from January.

The £2.65 million summer of 2009 signing from Sunderland turned down a Town offer early in the season, terms which were reportedly worth around a third of his current £15,000-a-week contract.

Boro are said to have bettered that deal, while a move to Teesside may appeal to the Chester-le-Street-born player.

Coincidentally, the 26-year-old missed a penalty and scored a stunning goal in the 1-1 draw between the Blues and Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Tuesday.

Photo: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

Chop_Chop added 22:52 - Mar 30 see ya
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AlanMahon2011 added 23:01 - Mar 30 lol he's playing well but he's not that good!
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buryblue77 added 23:02 - Mar 30 Another £2.6m down the drain. Marcus Evans must have deeper pockets than we all think with all the money spent over the last few years on players which has seen no re-sale value. Norris £2.5m Priskin £1.7m McAuley £1.5m Civelli £1m Fulop 750k Lisbie £700k And now possibly Leadbitter off on a free if he signs a deal with Middlesbrough, not a lot of return has been seen on investment over the last few years!

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casanovacrow added 23:04 - Mar 30 5k a week sounds about what his overal performance has merited over his time here, if anything its generous. If Boro want to rip themselves off let them, just hope they stick to the financial fair play rules ...not that there is going to be any enforcement for two years. Whats the point of rules with no punishment? joke of a situation
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manualthetisfanclub added 23:07 - Mar 30 Now who didn't see that coming!!this whole story stinks of norris all over again!not bothered if he stayed or went,more mismanagement again losing another 2 mill player for nowt!!!will they ever learn!
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Handsome_Lizard added 23:13 - Mar 30 yawn.
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arc added 23:15 - Mar 30 If he signs for them (which would be very understandable–good luck to him), then he shouldn't play for us again. Not spite, just practicality. Play Hyam.
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icetruckiller added 23:20 - Mar 30 Exactly Arc, no doubt PJ won't see that and play him every remaining game, instead of playing Hyam.
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Lightningboy added 23:28 - Mar 30 If he's got zero intention of staying then can we please stop playing him and give some "invaluable" experience to the likes of Hyam and Drury instead. Wish PJ would wake up to this fact...it's things like this that really annoy me about him.
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KentBlue92 added 23:28 - Mar 30 even though he has been in good form recently, that doesn't automatically dismiss the 18 months of mediocre form before hand. I would like him to stay as he is still young and there is potential but I wouldn't be that sad if he left as he is on a fair bit of wage.
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harlingblue added 23:32 - Mar 30 Leadbitter has been a poor player for ITFC, only now showing his real potential.
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Mark added 23:44 - Mar 30 Money down the drain indeed. I don't blame ITFC for not offering mediocre Leadbitter a bigger contract, but why on earth did we not try to sell him last summer to recoup part of his transfer fee?
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walberswick added 23:51 - Mar 30 Marcus Evans the astute and blindingly clever businessman. Not.
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walberswick added 23:58 - Mar 30 Did he miss the penalty on purpose?
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shakerbreaker added 00:11 - Mar 31 Drop him, play Hyam.
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Keaneish added 00:13 - Mar 31 Maybe the fact he's playing better is because the pressure if is off as he's on the way to Boro. For those who think he's made his mark and worth 15k a week, get real! A big failure at that price tag. Plenty of neat and tidy footballers to come in play his role plus we've got better on the bench in Bullard if he can find some form. Time to get some talent from league 1.

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bournemouthblue added 02:44 - Mar 31 That would be an excellent move for him to be fair
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airliner added 05:30 - Mar 31 What a surprise ,another player who has no allegiance to the club and fans who pay his salary. Drop him straight away and make way for players who want to play for our beloved club. Ok the pay cut sounds really severe but does he merit £15 a week i think not. Not a very exciting player and not really committed to this club; just a job to him methinks. Good luck Boro not that good.

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bluelady added 07:56 - Mar 31 This has come from the media and is speculation, agreed if he signs a contract elsewhere drop him, until he does remember we may be offering him improv ed terms from 5k and currently we are paying him 15k a week and is arguably our most on form player. That's a lot to pay someone who doesn't feature.For those who say there is nothing to play for, rubbish. The higher up the league we finish the more people are likely to buy season tickets and the better prospect we look to other players looking to sign.

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Superfrans added 07:56 - Mar 31 We obviously don't want him. Or we wouldn't be offering him a third of what he is currently earning. This would also explain why Carlos has remained captain since he returned to the side. And to those who are asking why we are still playing him - regardless of whether he is here next season or not, we still have to pick up points. Only in the past couple of games have we become so far off the pace that any play-off intentions have gone. Until it is mathematically over, we must aim to get as many points as we can. And in form of four goals in four matches, it is hard to drop him.

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BROTHERBLUE1974 added 08:14 - Mar 31 If this is true then he shouldn't play for this club again. Jewell should bring back Hyam, who should never have been dropped. And start looking at what midfield he's gonna be playing next season. Or even bring in Stevenson, let's see players who want to play for our Club. Not just put their self in the shop window, like so many players seem to be doing of late.

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floridaboy added 08:16 - Mar 31 About this club and all the other clubs not in the premiership starting paying wages that they can afford and not just throw money around in the hope. Has been a poor signing and if he wants to go back to the north then phone the taxi. As for feeling sorry for him because the club want to pay him ONLY £5k a week then please get real. For the salary he currently gets - not really earns - the club could get 3 or 4 players from the lower leagues who would jump at the chance of joining a club of the Blues standing. Would be happy with a few Cresswells or Drurys

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DiamondGezzer added 08:20 - Mar 31 Also, as a club, is there not something about the higher you finish the greater the monetary hand out you receive ?
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Michael11 added 08:41 - Mar 31 Never rated him here, no coincidence that since he got dropped/injured is when we got our season back on track. It's not just the £2.65m hes cost to buy but multiply the £15k a week for two years then its more like just over £4m we actually spent on him. if this is true then get him out the team and give Hyam and Drury a run til the end of the season to get them ready for next year.

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Karlosfandangal added 08:50 - Mar 31 Cant blame the player if we are offering 5k a week on a one year deal, I would take the Middlesbrough offer if say it was 10k a week on a 2 year deal. I expect Leadbitter has given Town since the summer to make an improved offer we we never seem that quick to come forward with deals. Feel Jewell should have played Leadbitter instead of Hyam when we were in with a shout of the play off's (be it an outside chance), However now that dream has gone over the last 2 games I agree with dropping Leadbitter for Hyam or Stevenson Would like to see see play Carson instead of Murphy if we are not going to sign him in the summer and also give Cody a go in goal as ALB will only ever be our number 2 at best

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