Boro fail to agree Carbone deal

Middlesbrough have pulled out of their move to sign Italian striker Benito Carbone on a permanent basis.

The club has been in talks with the 30-year-old for several weeks after his successful loan spell a the Riverside Stadium, but today confirmed that they had been unable to agree a deal.

‘‘We have been unable to reach agreement on a permanent contract with Benito Carbone, therefore he has returned to Bradford City where he is still under contract,’’ a club spokesman said.

It is understood that Carbone, who initially turned down a loan move to Teesside after failing to win a permanent contract in the first place, wanted a longer deal than Boro were prepared to offer him.

The news will come as a blow to fans who had seen the mercurial Italian help to revive their fortunes following his arrival at the club in February.

Manager Steve McClaren recruited him in a bid to find extra creativity, and he provided that to help Boro climb away from trouble into the upper reaches of the Premiership table before the injury crisis which has seen them tail off in recent weeks.

McClaren managed to tie up a five-year deal to keep French full-back Franck Queudrue at the club last week, but now he must return to the drawing board in his search for firepower at the other end of the pitch.