Aston Villa have launched a formal bid for Jordan Rhodes but Middlesbrough are determined to recoup the full £9million they paid for the striker a year ago.
Steve Bruce is keen to take Rhodes to Villa Park to boost his attacking options but must adhere to Financial Fair Play rules after the club spent significantly last summer.
An initial offer is understood to be around the £6m mark but Boro are expected to hold out until the closing stages of the window to extract a higher fee.
Lines of communication are already open after Villa sold Rudy Gestede to Boro for £6m – the price it took to acquire the striker from Blackburn in July 2015.