Middlesbrough have made their first signing of the January transfer window after completing a deal to sign Aston Villa striker Rudy Gestede, the Premier League outfit have announced.
Aitor Karanka earmarked the signing of a new striker as their number one priority in this transfer window in a bid to ease the burden on Alvaro Negredo in attack and the newly promoted Premier League side have fended off competition from their rivals to land the Villa striker in a deal worth in excess of £6m.
Gestede, 28, only joined Villa from Blackburn at the start of last season but underwhelmed during his second taste of Premier League football last season before dropping down the pecking order under Steve Bruce in the Championship this time around.
The French striker, however, has sealed an unlikely return to the Premier League with Middlesbrough and has agreed terms on a three-and-a-half-year deal keeping him at the club until 2020.
Gestede has only managed five goals in 35 Premier League appearances during his career. Particularly one dimensional in his skill set, more than half of his league goals over the last four seasons have been scored with his head (23/42).
For more stats on Rudy Gestede, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
