Boro smash transfer record to sign Alfonso Alves
Gareth Southgate secures Boro's record signing Alfonso Alves
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Friday, 01, Feb 2008 09:30
Middlesbrough have paid a club-record transfer fee to buy striker Alfonso Alves from Dutch side Heerenveen on transfer deadline day.
The precise value of the deal has not been disclosed, although reports suggest it could be in the region of £12 million - eclipsing the previous record of £8.3 million for Massimo Maccarone from Italian side Empoli in 2002.
The deal was confirmed late yesterday after Brazilian Alves received a work permit, but he will have to wait for international clearance from the Dutch Football Association before he will be allowed to make his Boro debut.
"I'm delighted to have completed the deal," said Boro boss Gareth Southgate.
"As usual at this time of the year, it was a late night but Afonso brings us something different in that he is a goalscorer who does much of his best work inside the box.
"His goalscoring record in Holland, in particular, but in Sweden too has been prolific. We hope he will reproduce that sort of form for us in the Premier League."
The signing could be key for the Teesside outfit, whose difficulty in finding the net has been well-documented this season.
Summer signing Jeremie Aliadiere has scored just twice so far this season, while main marksman Mido has been out injured and Tuncay Sanli has struggled to settle.
Alves, who has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract at the Riverside, has scored a remarkable 45 goals in 38 league games for Heerenveen since signing from Swedish side Malmo for £3 million in the summer of 2006.