Middlesbrough are poised to sign Aston Villa striker Rudy Gestede in a deal worth £6.5m, reports The Guardian.
Aitor Karanka is desperate to add a new striker to his squad when the January transfer window re-opens in a bid to ease the goalscoring burden on Alvaro Negredo.
Jordan Rhodes is expected to leave Riverside next month after failing to convince Karanka he has what it takes to cut it at Premier League level, while Boro are set to be competition from Palace to the signature of Gestede.
The 28-year-old scored five times for Villa in the Premier League last season but has struggled to find regular game time for Steve Bruce’s side this season in the Championship given the competition for places in attack.
Despite missing one season in the Championship altogether, no player has scored more headed goals in the last four campaigns than Gestede (20).
For more stats on Rudy Gestede, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
