GARY Megson’s biggest task this summer will be to find the right man to tune up his engine room.

Over the course of this season, Wanderers’ midfield has relied more on industry than ingenuity.

But with the likes of James Morrison, Sean Davis and Miguel Veloso on the manager’s radar, there is evidence to suggest that the Whites are searching for someone with a creative spark.

While Fabrice Muamba’s athleticism and Gavin McCann’s workrate have served the club well as they steadied the ship over the last nine months, the lack of goals from the middle of the park has become a concern to the Wanderers boss.

The loss of Kevin Nolan in January reduced Megson’s attacking options even further, and while Mark Davies has shown in glimpses that he can cope with the cut and thrust of Premier League football, the burden of driving a top flight midfield forward is too great a one to place on such young shoulders.

It is a similar case for Chris Basham, who has shown considerable maturity since bursting onto the scene in November, but whose natural position remains at centre half.

The biggest fish to land remains Portugal international Veloso, who has publicly stated that he will be leaving Sporting Lisbon this summer.

Wanderers remain interested in the 23-year-old, who would represent a massive coup should they finally land him after two previous failed attempts.

Rumours of a recent bid began to circulate in Portugal yesterday, though the figures mentioned were not quite as grand as the £15million Sporting apparently quoted back in January.

Wanderers managed to sign Johan Elmander last season for £8.2m, six months after being told by Toulouse that he would cost £21m, and Whites fans will be hoping the same rules will apply once more.

At the opposite end of the scale, Sean Davis’s contract at Portsmouth remains unsigned, leaving the 29-year-old’s future at Fratton Park hanging in the balance.

Tony Adams rejected a £2million bid for the Lambeth-born midfielder in January but since his departure, Davis stressed that he would not discuss the matter until the end of the season.

Wanderers remain in the driving seat for his signature, now on a free transfer, although reports suggest other clubs such as Blackburn, Wolves and Wigan have also been monitoring his situation.

James Morrison is another former target Megson has considered revisiting, after his previous £2million bid was turned down by West Brom.

With the Baggies relegated, a similar offer may convince them to part with the Scotland international, who also offers the fact he is comfortable as a right-sided midfielder.

But his comments in the aftermath of Wanderers’ unsuccessful transfer window bid, in which he said he would prefer to stay at West Brom rather than go to Bolton at the time, did little for his popularity.

Representatives of former South American Player of the Year Matias Fernandez claim the Whites have already lodged an offer with his club, Villareal, although the club are yet to confirm this is the case.

And on the backburner, the thorny subject of Joey Barton may yet emerge as a major talking point of the summer.

Newcastle’s huge rebuilding job — and some would say fire sale — could open the door for Megson to land a player he is keen to work with. The player’s baggage is considerable, however, and any bid would be bound to cause consternation.

Megson knows his midfield is missing an element of creativity, particularly in Ricardo Gardner’s absence, and his signings in that area this transfer window will be eagerly anticipated.

How he addresses this particular situation might well make or break his chances of further evolving his squad.