Boro close in on O'Neil
Gary O'Neil fell out of favour at Fratton Park
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Friday, 31, Aug 2007 09:45
Middlesbrough have struck a deal with Portsmouth for midfielder Gary O'Neil.
Boro have agreed a fee of around £5 million with Pompey with O'Neil set to have a medical at the Riverside Stadium.
The Teesiders beat off competition from Everton and Fulham to sign O'Neil to ease their crisis on the right side of midfield.
Boss Gareth Southgate said he was confident of wrapping up the deal before the transfer window shuts.
"We've agreed a deal with Portsmouth and pretty much agreed everything with the player," Southgate said.
"He's just in the process of having a medical at the moment and we're very hopeful it will be done.
"I didn't think he would be available but he has now become available for various reasons at Portsmouth and he's somebody I've been an admirer of for some time.
"It's a position that our fans feel we've needed to fill for a long time. I don't want to say anything until everything is signed and sealed but I'm very confident."
O'Neil was linked with a move to David Moyes' side as part of the deal which saw Yakubu sign from Boro.
The 24-year-old was set to move to Fulham in exchange for Papa Bouba Diop but the deal collapsed over his personal terms.
The hard-working midfielder was a mainstay in Harry Redknapp's side after joining the club as a trainee in 1999.
O'Neil becomes Southgate's second signing on transfer deadline day after the club captured Egypt midfielder Mohamed Shawky.