Portsmouth want to bring Gary O'Neil back from Middlesbrough.

The Mirror says O'Neil is poised to return to Portsmouth from Middlesbrough in the wake of Lassana Diarra's shock £20million switch to Real Madrid.

Boro have started talks with Pompey over a £5m deal for the midfielder who has failed to settle on Teesside.

And Boro boss Gareth Southgate is willing to offload the ex-Pompey trainee to raise transfer funds.