Ipswich Town are interested in signing out-of-favour Middlesbrough midfielder Adlene Guardioura, according to the Sunday People.

Boro signed the Algerian international for a reported £3.5m from Watford last January, handing him a three-and-a-half-year deal, but a hamstring injury has hampered his time with the Teesiders and he has made just one senior start for the club.

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Tony Pulis replaced Garry Monk in charge at the Riverside recently and is looking to build his own team.

Meanwhile, Blues boss Mick McCarthy – who signed Guardiora for Wolves in 2010 – is looking to bolster his injury-hit midfield with a short-term signing.

Speaking last week, McCarthy, who is now in the final few months of his contract, facing an uncertain future and working on a tight financial budget, said: “I’m trying to get them on loan so they are short-term deals anyway.

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“That’s for them to come and play. If somebody wants to come and play, they will come and play. If they want to get out of a team where they’re not playing, they will want to come and play.

“I’m not offering anybody any long-termism, long-term deals, I’m offering them to the end of the season to come and try and help us. It’s a symbiotic deal – I’ll try and help them get back in their team and get back in their squad.

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“Who knows, if they do well and we do well then we might be able to have a chat about staying on longer.”

Town currently have central midfielders Emyr Huws, Tom Adeyemi, Teddy Bishop, Andre Dozzell, Flynn Downes and Tristan Nydam all sidelined.