Middlesbrough will move to secure the future of goalkeeper Aynsley Pears amid Premier League interest as Jonathan Woodgate's youth revolution continues on Teesside.
Pears, 21, is the son of former Boro stopper Stephen and has been with his hometown club since the age of nine.
The England youth international has broken into the first team this season, keeping eight clean sheets from 16 league appearances, the highest ratio in the Championship.
But Pears' contract expires this summer and he is now free to talk to foreign clubs, while several Premier League sides have also checked on his situation.
Woodgate, though, will be keen to see Pears rewarded with a new deal and follow team-mates Hayden Coulson, Marcus Tavernier and Djed Spence in committing their future to the club.
The manager has a remit to promote from within and has seen the aforementioned quartet flourish this season.
Boro have recovered from a difficult start and have now lost just one of their last eight matches, climbing to 18th in the table.
