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Doriva's son is set to join Boro, Juninho has revealed.

Talented 17-year-old Diego Sinhorini Ghidoni is expected to link up with the club ahead of the new season.

He has come through the ranks at Ituano, the Brazilian club owned by Juninho and coached by Doriva, and is rated highly.

There is also the possibility of another of the club’s promising young players joining Diego at Rockliffe Park in the not too distant future.

Boro and Ituano have been developing an informal link-up over the last few years but the players identified for a possible trans-Atlantic transfer must have an EU passport to be eligible to play in England.

“The players that we have identified already have a European passport,” Juninho told the Gazette.

“And we see quality in them so those are the kind of players that we want to offer to go overseas.

“They have quality in our competition and they have the passport so if Middlesbrough approve them it is easy to get the work permit because they have the right conditions to play in England.

“Doriva’s son is 17, he is an attacking midfield player who has the quality to do a good job and we see a great future for him.”

Diego knows all about England having lived in the North-east when his dad played for Boro.

He was six when Doriva joined Boro in January 2003 and almost 10 when his father was released by the club three and-a-half years later.

Boro signed two Ituano players, Rafael Pereira and Marcos Rhoden, in February 2013.

The pair were older than Diego when they joined the club and represented the development team in the Under-21 Premier League.

Their deals were extended ahead of the 2013/14 season but they left before the end of the season after failing to establish themselves.

Doriva is now one of Brazil’s hottest managerial prospects after guiding Ituano to the Sao Paulo state championship.

Juninho is keen for the clubs to continue to work together and is in regular contact with chief executive Neil Bausor.

“There is always a great relationship between me and Middlesbrough,” he said.

“I keep in touch through email. We have to find an easier way to try to make the partnership work but it’s difficult because of the working regulations in the UK.”

Thiago Cruz, the director of Ituano’s academy, has visited the region to take a look at Boro’s facilities and has spent time with the club’s coaches and is hopeful that further deals will be pushed through.

Juninho has also recommended several senior players to Boro including duo Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Favretti and Carlos Correa.

The Brazilian pair spent a few days with the club in the summer of 2012 and were involved in the pre-season friendlies against Hartlepool and Carlisle but manager Tony Mowbray decided not to offer them longer-term deals.