Middlesbrough are set to rival Preston to sign Everton misfit Aiden McGeady.
McGeady spent last season on loan at Deepdale and was awarded the Championship club’s Player of the Season after scoring eight times in 40 games.
The Republic of Ireland international has accepted that his Goodison Park career is over and is understood to prefer to extend his stay with Preston.
Everton are also willing to offload McGeady, who will enter the final 12 months of his existing contract this summer, as Ronald Koeman looks to trim his squad.
However a £40,000 per week salary continues to prove a stumbling block.
That has allowed Boro to join the hunt for the 31-year-old as they aim to return to the Premier League at the first attempt under new manager Garry Monk.
Since joining from Spartak Moscow in January 2014, McGeady has made 43 appearances for Everton but struggled under both Roberto Martinez and Koeman.