| Boro boss Gordon Strachan has been trailing the Tannadice winger since before the end of last season and last week the Championship outfit made an official approach for him.
With United holding out for a seven-figure fee for the Scottish Cup Final hero and Strachan only talking around half that sum, he has turned his attention elsewhere.
He’s firmed up his interest in former Estonian wonderkid Tarmo Kink and it’s been reported the 24-year-old wide man is now in the north east of England for signing talks and may even have gone through a medical.
Kink, whose early promise earned him a lucrative move from the Baltic state to Spartak Moscow at aged just 17, has been playing in Hungary with Gyori ETO and it’s understood they would take around £250,000 for him.
Now 24, like Conway he can operate as an orthodox winger and also gets into scoring positions — he’s hit the net 15 times in 40 games in Hungarian football.
That Boro are looking so closely at a player whose style mirrors Conway’s could spell good news for The Tangerines and they would be delighted to hang on to the 25-year-old.
It has to be stressed, though, that, officially at least, Middlesbrough are retaining an interest in taking Conway to the Riverside Stadium.
Conway is unlikely to see action tonight or tomorrow when a mix of first-team men and reserves take on Raith Rovers and then Livingston.
That has nothing to do with any uncertainty over his future, but is down to a knock he picked up in the Belfast draw with Glentoran at the weekend.
And of more concern to boss Peter Houston tonight will be the performance of his own Baltic trialist when he takes a strong team to Stark’s Park.
Lithuanian centre-half Irmantas Zelmikas will get another run-out tonight after impressing against Queen’s Park and Glentoran.
And Houstie is now close to deciding whether to offer the 30-year-old international a permanent deal.
“The big man will play tonight and that might be enough for me to decide, but I do have the option of taking him down to Hull at the weekend and deciding after that one — that would definitely be enough before making a decision.”
Tonight and tomorrow will see most of the first time get 90 minutes under their belt and Houstie believes that’s another big step towards full match fitness.
“It’s games they need right now and that’s why we’ve taken games on consecutive nights in each of the last two midweeks.
“Tonight we’ll have a very strong team.
“Pernis, Dillon, Dods, Shala and a few others will be involved and the ones who don’t play will be at Livingston tomorrow.” |
