Middlesbrough target Portsmouth keeper Alex Bass as part of summer revamp

Crystal Palace are also keen on the 22-year-old who signed a new three-and-a-half year deal in January so is contracted with Pompey until 2023.

The keeper enjoyed a good campaign having dislodged Craig MacGillivray as first-choice keeper on the south coast.

He went on to make 25 appearances and recorded eight clean sheets.

The Portsmouth News report: “Bass, 22, is under contract at Fratton Park until the summer of 2023, after penning a new three-and-a-half deal back in January.

“It, therefore, puts the Blues in a strong bargaining position to maximise a return on his talent should they decide to cash in.

“Now Middlesbrough have emerged as another club to test their resolve.”

Boro boss Neil Warnock hopes to move quickly this summer with his transfer plans.

Warnock said: “It’s hard because [with] a lot of players the agents don’t really want to say yes or no. They are really the dominant figure at the moment and they want their players to have every opportunity so it is difficult.

“I think next week, from Monday onwards, I’m going to start putting pressure on people and if they don’t want to come I’ll leave alone.

“But we do need quite a few, we need down the spine of the team one or two leaders and talkers.

“We’ve got a very unbalanced squad but there are some good young lads there, they just need a little bit of help, not just from me but from the people on the field as well so I’m hoping to conjure up two or three experienced players to fit in with the younger lads.

“They’ve got a lot of young lads, which is unusual at a club in that league, a lot of players who’ve come through the Academy.

“I love being on the training ground with the players and I’d love to think I could make one or two better players as well.”

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