Afonso Alves is close to sealing a £10million move to Middlesbrough after the Dutch FA ruled that Heerenveen are not obliged to sell him to AZ.The KNVB committee ruled on Wednesday that the first-option arrangement AZ Alkmaar thought was in place is invalid, and they will make a decision on Thursday on the pre-contract agreement the club believed they had secured with Alves.

Should they reach a similar decision, Heerenveen would be free to open negotiations with Boro, who have been on the 26-year-old Brazilian's trail for months.

AZ filed an emergency arbitration with the KNVB earlier this month, and with the player insisting he had no intention of heading to the Alkmaarder Hout, both Dutch clubs and Boro were left awaiting a decision.

The Teessiders now appear to be a step closer to being able to formalise their interest.

Media reports in Holland had claimed that Alves, who has already visited the Riverside Stadium, would command a fee of around £14.9million, although Boro are understood to value him at in the region of two-thirds of that figure.

Manager Gareth Southgate has insisted all along that the South American was one of a series of targets they were considering during a traditionally difficult month on the transfer market, and the club's caution was perhaps well-founded in view of the added difficulties surrounding the Heerenveen frontman's case..

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