Town are one of a number of clubs interested in MFK Košice midfielder Nemanja Matić, according to the Slovakian club's head of football development Allen Bula.
The 20-year-old Serbian U21 international is set for a trial with Middlesbrough, during the Slovakian season's winter break, while the Blues, West Brom, Paris St Germain and Panathinaikos are all also said to be keen on the highly-rated central midfielder
Boro appear very much to be heading the race to sign the Ã… abac-born player, who joins them for a trial on December 8th, although Bula says a January deal is not yet definite: "We will wait until the return of Matić to see whether all three parties are happy to progress further on talks.â€Â
Bula, 6ft 4 1/2in tall, is a naturalised Slovakian and therefore can play in any EU country without having to acquire a work permit.