York City could be poised for a bumper cash boost amid reports Steve McClaren is planning to take former Bootham Crescent hot-shot Jonathan Greening to Middlesbrough.

York-born McClaren is expected to be unveiled as Boro manager when he returns from holiday next week and is reportedly willing to pay around £2.5million for Greening's services.

The speculation will be of particular interest to City, who stand to bank a sizeable chunk of any transfer fee received by United.

The Evening Press understands the Minstermen will earn a percentage - thought to be around 25 per cent - of the difference between what City have already received for the player and the transfer sum.

To date, City cashed £350,000 when Scarborough-born Greening moved to Old Trafford in March 1998 and a further £500,000 from an appearance-linked clause.

Should Greening move to the Riverside it means City could stand to land around £400,000.

The cash would be a major fillip to cash-conscious City, who have made no secret of the fact they are having to trim their wage bill and the size of the squad for next season.

As reported in the Evening Press, Greening broke an ankle in his foot while on England Under-21 duty in Albania in March.

The injury came just days after the 22-year-old handed in a transfer request citing a lack of first team opportunities at Old Trafford.

Greening, an England Under-21 international, is said to be recovering well from the fracture and would be expected to pass any medical.

McClaren is also rumoured to be lining up a move for Greening's United and England Under-21 team mate Mark Wilson in a separate deal.

Like Greening, Wilson remains on the fringes of the first-team at Old Trafford and is valued at around £1.5million by United.

* A Football League transfer tribunal was today expected to make a decision on how much Chesterfield will have to pay Chester for former City target striker Luke Beckett.

A disciplinary panel ordered a review of the original £150,000 tribunal value after uncovering a string of financial irregularities.

Those irregularities have led a number of clubs, led by York City, to call for the Spireities to be expelled from the League. The motion will be discussed at the League's AGM next week.

Updated: 11:40 Friday, June 01, 2001