Real Betis are closing in on a deal to make Middlesbrough playmaker Gaston Ramirez their eighth summer signing, say reports in Spain.
The Uruguayan international has endured a turbulent time in England since joining Southampton in 2012 with relatively unhappy stints at the South Coast club alongside Hull and Boro.
Los Verdiblancos are said to have offered €4m to Boro and ABC de Sevilla say the Championship club are willing to cut their losses on the 26-year-old, who has a €12m release clause at the Riverside Stadium.
“Gaston must leave Middlesbrough, I'm convinced of it,” the midfielder’s agent Pablo Bentancur has been quoted as saying by various media sources.
“I cannot confirm a deal was done with Betis, maybe with another team, although they are in a strong position.
“Teams came promptly to ask for Gaston and those names are in the public domain, Benfica and Sporting are both interested, with Freiburg too.”
Ramirez is said to have held several discussions with Antonio Barragan, who joined the Seville-based club on loan from Boro earlier this summer.
