Boro line up Beattie bid

Gareth Southgate wants another high profile forward but has so far been thwarted in his attempts to persuade Smith to move to the Riverside Stadium.

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He has agreed a £6million fee with Manchester United, the only club as yet to match Sir Alex Ferguson's value of the player, but the 26-year-old has shunned the interest.

Everton have now emerged as favourites to sign the England striker, and that could pave the way for Beattie to play for his fourth different Premiership club, having also been at Blackburn and Southampton.

Southgate is a fan of the 29-year-old who can be one of the most effective forwards in England on his day. Beattie moved to Goodison Park three years ago and was then seen as the natural successor to Alan Shearer in the national side.

In his final two full seasons at Southampton, Beattie scored 37 Premiership goals and his switch to Goodison was expected to cement his position as one of the leading forwards in the country.

But the move, to the frustration of everyone at Everton, has not worked out. Beattie could not even command a regular role in David Moyes' side last season and managed just two goals, both of them penalties. Indeed, his last goal in open play was on March 11, 2006.

Yet there remains a sense of unease from within Everton at the potential sale. They will accept an offer in the region of £4.5million, recouping some of the £6m — then a club record — they paid to the Saints.

The real worry for Moyes is that another club could unlock Beattie's undoubted potential. He is a popular player within the dressing room and is said to be happy at Goodison.

But his failure to adapt to the style of play engineered by Moyes has been a key factor in his slide over the last 12 months.

Moyes will still be a reluctant seller if Middlesbrough turn their interest into a definite bid. An Everton source said: "He is a 100 per cent confidence player, but he has to be 100 per cent fit."

Injury has plagued Beattie's Everton stint and although he will partner Andy Johnson in Everton's friendly against a Northern Ireland Select today, he has again been troubled this week with a niggling calf injury on the pre-season trip to Coverciano, near Florence. In addition, there has been a concern over Beattie's taste for the high life.

Southgate needs more offensive power. He has lost Mark Viduka to Newcastle on a free transfer and in the last close season he allowed Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to leave, while doubts remain about Aiyegbeni Yakubu's future because Portsmouth are still keen.

Southgate wants to keep the Nigeria marksman but is aware this could be the ideal time to sell a player whose impact waned dramatically last season.

The Middlesbrough manager is eager to push on with the redevelopment of his own squad. He has already added Jonathan Woodgate, Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay on permanent deals this summer.

He would like Smith but the player's reluctance to open talks, despite his Old Trafford career seemingly coming to an end, has alerted him to other possibilities, with Beattie at the head of that queue.

Southgate still wants to strengthen the right side of his team, too. He has enquired about Charlton full back Luke Young and could return with a £2m offer for the defender.

He has also earmarked the Preston winger Simon Whaley as a potential answer to the problematic position on the right side of the midfield.

James Morrison and Lee Cattermole failed to adapt to the demanding position and Preston's 22-year-old right winger, a good friend of David Nugent, could follow his pal to the Premiership.