By Stuart Roach BBC Sport Online

Middlesbrough are waiting to discover if their bid to sign Derby County's England under-21 duo Chris Riggott and Malcolm Christie has been successful.

Former Rams coach Steve McClaren has targeted the pair to bolster his squad and is hoping the First Division outfit will agree to a loan deal with a view to completing permanent moves in the summer.

Leeds United have been linked with a move for Christie - but Derby have revealed they are still in negotiation with Boro.

"We've had an inquiry from Middlesbrough regarding Christie and Riggott and at the moment that's just being kept on the boil," club secretary Keith Pearson told Derby's official website, www.dcfc.co.uk.

The pair could move as a package

"It hasn't gone away and we're still looking at it and considering it along with Middlesbrough."

Reports suggested Derby had already turned Boro's bid down, but Pearson moved to dismiss that.

"I've heard that and that is totally untrue," he said. "Reports that we have turned it down, that's totally untrue.

"We've not even been back to Middlesbrough to discuss the matter further. We're still considering the Middlesbrough bid."

Asked about Leeds' reported interest in Christie, Pearson said: "That's pure speculation. We certainly haven't had any contact from Leeds, but who knows? We wait and see."

Christie, who joined in a �50,000 deal from Nuneaton Borough in October 1998, scored nine Premiership goals for Derby last season, including a double in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United in March.

He and Riggott, who graduated as a trainee at Derby, have both been capped at England Under-21 level.