Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder has confirmed that the Championship club are closing in on the signing of Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen, insisting it is a "big coup" for the Riverside outfit.
Steffen, who has ambitions of being the USA's starting goalkeeper at the World Cup in Qatar later this year, is poised to join Middlesbrough on a season-long loan deal. It has been reported that he will undergo a medical on Teesside over the weekend ahead of becoming the club's new first-choice goalkeeper.
City, who will get their pre-season schedule under way next Thursday, facing Club America, have already drafted in a new goalkeeper in the form of Stefan Ortega, who is set to replace Steffen as manager Pep Guardiola's second-choice shot-stopper. He will provide competition for Ederson.
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Although the deal to take Steffen to the Riverside has not been officially signed and sealed just yet, Wilder has confirmed that the 27-year-old is set to become his fourth signing of the summer. Furthermore, he has also praised the City ace for dropping down into the Championship in pursuit of first-team football.
"When we looked at it when we first came in, we knew we had to improve the goalkeeping department," said Wilder, as quoted by Teesside Live. "We've brought in Liam Roberts who is going to prove a really good acquisition for us, and now we're adding Zack Steffen who recently just signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Man City.
"Man City don't hand out four-and-a-half-year contracts if they don't think anything of them. Everyone knows his situation, he needed to play because of the World Cup.
"He had an agreement with Man City, but he could have easily stayed there and sat comfortably as their number two. He wanted to go out and he's agreed to come here.
"I think it's a big coup for us and so I'm delighted to be bringing him in. I'm delighted with Steffen, I'm delighted with Liam Roberts and I'm delighted we got Alan Fettis as well. That part of the team is sorted and we've ticked the box on that one."
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