Only 14 months after leaving Middlesbrough with his reputation sullied, the Brazilian midfielder Emerson is poised for an improbable return to Teesside.

In the belief that the 26-year-old may be able to help arrest a decline in fortune and form which now threatens the club's Premiership status, the Riverside club's manager Bryan Robson has opened negotiations which may precipitate the season's most unexpected transfer.

Emerson plays for Tenerife in the Spanish first division but with his club impoverished and bottom of the table, he recently hinted that the time was right to move on.

After being made aware of Emerson's disquiet and the possibility that he could be available, Robson dispatched a member of his managerial team to Tenerife 10 days ago. Boro's representative is believed to have spent six days on the island seeking to arrange a cut-price deal.

Tenerife's financial plight is so severe that Robson hopes they will accept an offer of £2 million for the player, half the sum they paid Middlesbrough for him in December 1997.

Emerson is the second top-class midfielder Robson has attempted to lure to the Riverside Stadium in the past month following his unsuccessful bid to return Georgi Kinkladze to English football.

Although Kinkladze has been made available at only £3.5 million by Ajax, he has rejected Middlesbrough's overtures. Any Emerson return hinges on whether he feels he will be able to strike up a rapport with the supporters who, having initially feted him for his skills and commitment, ultimately condemned him as a Judas.

Middlebrough have also joined Arsenal in sounding out Everton over the availability of Olivier Dacourt, who may be forced to move on due to the Merseyside club's parlous financial situation.

One of the most combative midfielders in the game, Dacourt is also wanted by Aston Villa while the Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has asked to be kept informed of developments but has yet to make a bid. His decision to renew a long-standing interest in Dacourt has been prompted by worries over Emmanuel Petit, who may require corrective surgery on an ankle.

It is believed that the Middlesbrough manager Robson has contacted his Everton counterpart Walter Smith to offer around £5 million for the 24-year-old Frenchman. While Everton are attempting to reduce debts estimated at around £14 million, Robson's bid would certainly be rejected as Smith and his board will not consider any offer below £6.5 million.