Dick Advocaat's hunt for an attacking player to spark life into his defensive, slow-moving central midfield has hit another dead end, as targets appear to be slipping through the Dutchman's fingers. Stewart Downing's return to Middlesbrough looks increasingly likely, with the two parties reportedly in talks over the fine details of his contract - including a tempting promotion bonus. Sunderland look to be out of the picture with regards to signing the England international, an outcome which must be regarded as a minor surprise given the Black Cats' Premier League status. The West Ham midfielder has played at both the Riverside and the Stadium of Light over the course of his career, but made only a handful of loan appearances on Wearside as an up-and-coming teenager. His impending switch will see Downing return to his boyhood club, the team with which he made his name and broke into the England international setup. It's likely that sentimentality has played a key role in his decision to drop down a league. With failure to land Downing almost an inevitability by this point, Advocaat and co. must continue to look elsewhere for an attack-minded midfielder. Fellow Sunderland target Jordy Clasie looks instead to be moving to Southampton, while hot Chelsea prospect Marco van Ginkel was earlier confirmed to be heading on loan to Stoke.
