Middlesbrough hope to tie up a deal to bring Heerenveen striker Afonso Alves to the Premier League ahead of a work permit appeal hearing tomorrow.
Club officials were today hoping to finalise an agreement with the Dutch club
for the 26-year-old Brazilian as the January transfer window entered its final
few days.
Manager Gareth Southgate yesterday confirmed the club's appeal for a work
permit - the initial application was automatically rejected because Alves has
not played in 75% of his country's games over the last two years - will be heard
tomorrow.
The Teessiders have previously argued successfully for permission to recruit
the likes of Alen Boksic and Juninho, but they know too that the process can end
in disappointment, as it did when Steve McClaren attempted to land South Africa
striker Benni McCarthy.
They have spent the last few days compiling a dossier to back their case for
taking Alves to the Riverside Stadium with their protracted pursuit now close to
a conclusion.
Boro have had to be patient having renewed their interest in a player who was
last week the subject of a Dutch FA ruling that he had not signed a pre-contract
agreement with AZ Alkmaar.
That gave the Teessiders the green light to push through a deal which could
amount to £12million and smash the club record £8.15million they paid Empoli for
Italian international Massimo Maccarone in 2002.
Alves could head for Teesside to undergo a medical within the next 24 hours
provided he is granted a work permit, and may even be available for Sunday's
Tyne-Tees derby trip to Newcastle.
