MIDDLESBROUGH are considering an ambitious pursuit of Aston Villa outcast Stephen Ireland as Tony Mowbray steps up his bid to revamp his squad for next season.

Villa are determined to move Ireland on this summer and have been touting him around the Premier League and Championship in the hope of sealing a deal.

But with clubs reluctant to match Ireland’s reputed £65,000 weekly wage, a loan move to the Championship has emerged as a strong possibility.

Both Stoke City and Everton have also been credited with tentative interest, but Middlesbrough have a genuine chance of bringing the 26-year-old to the Riverside Stadium.

Nothing is certain and Ireland is keen to assess his options, still hoping to secure a move that will hand him Premier League football next season.

But after failing to strike a compromise over the remaining 12 months of his contract at Villa Park – which could earn him more than £3m – it could yet be a loan move which he has to take.

While Middlesbrough would be unable to get anywhere near to the wage he is on, Villa will be happy to pay a significant chunk of that just to get him away from the club’s training ground.

The Villans do not want to pay up the remaining term on his contract after such a disappointing three-year spell since moving from Manchester City for £8m as part of the James Milner deal in 2010.

And with little progress made over a breakthrough with the Republic of Ireland international, Villa would seriously consider making it easier for Middlesbrough to land Ireland by paying more than half of his wage.

Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has not used Ireland since he appeared in the Capital One Cup semi-final in January and was told to train with the academy’s youngsters when it was decided the first team no longer needed him.

Ireland also had an unsuccessful loan stint at Newcastle after joining in January 2011. He arrived nursing an injury and, after eventually making his debut at Manchester United in the April, he was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign through injury after his second appearance for the Magpies.

Brighton, who lost out in the Championship’s play-offs, and newly-promoted Doncaster are also rivals for Ireland’s signature and Mowbray hopes for a number of breakthroughs on the transfer front within the next fortnight.

The Boro boss has only added Dean Whitehead and Jozsef Varga to his squad so far this summer despite making plenty of approaches for a number of players, a number have gone on to sign for other clubs.

But he is still in the market for plenty more. One winger he has had a long term interest in is Bristol City winger Albert Adomah and he is understood to have handed in a transfer request after it was reported Wigan had offered £850,000 for him.

Mowbray does not have that sort of cash available to spend, unless he can raise money himself in the transfer market.

And despite telling Nottingham Forest that Grant Leadbitter is not for sale this week, sources close to the City Ground insist Billy Davies will not give up easily after seeing three different bids – the latest in excess of £1m – rejected for the ex-Sunderland man.

Davies is actively working on midfield reinforcements and is also pursuing Hearts’ Jason Holt. Forest had a second bid for the 20-year-old rejected yesterday.