Expensive flop Afonso heading for Middlesbrough exit after woeful scoring return

Middlesbrough flop Afonso Alves will quit the club at the end of the season even if the club pull off an unlikely escape from relegation.The 28-year-old Brazilian has been a huge disappointment since his £12million move from Dutch club Heerenveen in January 2008.Alves has scored 10 goals in 40 Barclays Premier League games - and just four this season. Story of his season: Afonso Alves is thwarted by Manchester City goalkeeper Shay GivenGareth Southgate's strugglers have managed just 25 goals in 34 games during a miserable campaign on Teesside and look certain for the drop unless they can find some form in their final four matches of the season.But even if Boro do survive, the big money Brazilian will bring an end to his Riverside career in any case, according to reports in The Sun.A number of clubs in Portugal would be interested in signing Alves, but Boro would have to accept a significantly lower fee than they paid for him. Benitez: Liverpool will have to sell to buy Villa's Barry and Boro's DowningMARTIN SAMUEL: No moans.foreign influence in English game IS a passport to successThe Best Bosmans: Sportsmail's guide to Europe's top out-of-contract players MIDDLESBROUGH FC

Source: Daily_Mail