Middlesbrough complete season-long loan deal for Negredo

(Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)
(Photo credit should read JOSE JORDAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Middlesbrough complete season-long loan deal for former Valencia and Manchester City man, Alvaro Negredo.

Alvaro Negredo is headed back to the Premier League. This time it’s a bit different: instead of joining a title favorite like Manchester City, he finds himself signing on with newly-promoted Middlesbrough, who he will be expected to help avoid relegation. The deal is a season-long loan.

(Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
(Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Negredo has been a fairly reliable goal scorer in Spain (112 goals in 264 La Liga appearances), and has gained valuable experience as a member of the Spanish national team. None of this, however, translated into success during his time with Manchester City during the 2013-14 season. After a hot start, he failed to find the back of the net over the last four months of the Premier League season. He went back to Spain that September, signing with Valencia.

Middlesbrough gained promotion to the Premier League earlier this year after spending seven seasons in the Championship. They will surely be pleased with the completion of the Negredo move as they continue to build what they hope will be a competitive Premier League side.

The good news helped to soften the blow of missing out on signing Neven Subtoic from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month. The Serbian international may miss the entirety of the 2016-17 season due to a required surgery for a rib problem.

Middlesbrough’s signing of Negredo marks the eighth addition to the club this offseason. Others include Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon, Ajax winger Viktor Fischer and Sporting Gijon defender Bernardo Espinosa.

As for the most recent signing, both club and player will be hoping for better results in England this time around.

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