Boro to discuss Maccarone future

Middlesbrough will sit down with record signing Massimo Maccarone at the end of the Italian season to discuss his future.

The 25-year-old, who cost the Teessiders £8.15m (€11.8m) when they signed him from Empoli in the summer of 2002, spent last season on loan at Parma and then Siena, who face a final day relegation showdown with Atalanta on Sunday.

Maccarone scored just 16 goals in 64 appearances for Boro and eventually lost his place as manager Steve McClaren opted to bring in the likes of Malcolm Christie, Michael Ricketts, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mark Viduka.

With Portsmouth’s Aiyegbeni Yakubu due to complete a £7.5m (€10.9m) move to the Riverside Stadium on July 1, the Italy international’s future looks bleak, although his club insists no decision has yet been made.

“He’s got two more years on his contract and we will sit down with Massimo and his advisors in the not too distant future and see what will happen,” chief executive Keith Lamb told the club’s official website, www.mfc.co.uk.

“We have monitored his performances and progress in Italy. Nothing has been ruled in or out and I have had no discussions with Siena. I am sure he and they are concentrating on the last game of the season.”