Premier League outfit AFC Bournemouth are closing in on a deal to recruit Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier ahead of their first season back in the top flight, according to a report from The Sun.

The 23-year-old has been one of the first names on the teamsheet at the Riverside under Chris Wilder alongside Jonny Howson and Matt Crooks despite the arrival of Riley McGree in January, establishing himself as one of the top young Championship players in the process.

Recording five goals and five assists in 44 second-tier appearances last term, he was a considerable threat going forward for the Teesside outfit and looked set to enter battle with Wilder's men again next term after just missing out on securing a top-six place.

However, it looks as though he will be heading south as he prepares to link up with Scott Parker's side, who are reportedly closing in on three new additions with Tavernier being one of those along with Blackburn Rovers midfielder Joe Rothwell.

But in a further blow to Boro, they are also closing in on an agreement for West Ham United full-back Ryan Fredericks, who is available for free this summer with the ex-Fulham man set to depart the Hammers on the expiration of his contract.

He had previously been linked with a move to the Riverside as a potential Djed Spence replacement - but is now thought to be on his way to the south coast.

The Verdict:

Although McGree can step in, this is a crushing blow for Boro who would have been desperate to keep the vast majority of their first-team squad together after progressing well under their current boss for much of last season.

With just one year left on his deal though, it would make sense for the Teesside club to cash in now if he's refusing to put pen to paper on a new deal because they would be even more devastated if they were to lose him for free.

It's not as if they need to cash in on him with Spence likely to generate a hefty eight-figure fee - but both of these likely sales could provide Wilder with a big budget to work with and that could be a game-changer for a side that are already favourites to be in and around the play-offs next term.

They will need to add some top-quality additions in the transfer window if they want to be challenging for the top two though - and the sale of Tavernier will not just help to bring in a higher quality of players - but also a higher number and this squad depth could be very important.

Injury troubles seemed to creep in for many teams last term and with the World Cup coming up later this year as well, there's the increased chance of fatigue and setbacks including in the midfield department with McGree likely to be heading to Qatar with Australia.