Boro set to snap up unsettled Distin
Distin seems to have played his last game in Manchester City colours
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Tuesday, 15, Aug 2006 08:22
Manchester City's unsettled French defender Sylvain Distin looks set to seal a move to Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough as the Eastlands club hierarchy accept an offer believed to be about £4.5 million for the player.
After a summer of stalling over a new contract, patience has worn fatally thin at Eastlands and, with only 12 months left on Distin's contract, City have decided to cash in on their former skipper.
He is now due to travel to Teesside to tie up the remain details of his deal and undergo a medical as he prepares to become the second signing of Gareth Southgate's managerial reign.
Southgate seems to have struggled in his first summer at the helm to find the right players in spite of strong financial backing from chairman Steve Gibson.
So far only Argentinean midfielder Julio Arca has been added to the squad as a £1.75 million switch from Sunderland.
Finding a replacement for himself to partner Chris Riggott at the heart of the defence has seen Southgate in hot pursuit of Distin, as well as other targets such as Chelsea's German international Robert Huth.
His City counterpart and fellow former England defender Stuart Pearce has spoken of his reluctance at letting Distin go but, having offered him a deal that would have made him the best-paid player in the club's history, it seems he has now accepted defeat.