AFC Bournemouth will fork out £10m for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier with a further £2.5m potentially to come in add-ons, according to last night's report from The Athletic.

Football League World revealed earlier this month that Boro were seeking at least £10m for his services with the Cherries, Everton, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest all understood to be interested at that point.

It's Scott Parker's side that are on the verge of winning the race for him though after retaining their interest, with £15m previously reported to be the price tag Chris Wilder's side were holding out for.

 

 

According to the Northern Echo, Boro weren't planning on cashing in on some of their most important players this summer but with the south-coast side making an offer they couldn't refuse, the race could now be on to find a replacement for the 23-year-old.

A £15m deal has been reported elsewhere - but The Athletic and Sky Sports journalist Mark McAdam believe Boro will receive a guaranteed £10m, with a £12.5m deal being agreed altogether for his services.

The Teesside outfit had a considerable amount of power at the negotiating table with the midfielder still having two years left on his contract at the Riverside, though it remains to be seen whether they have also been able to insert a sell-on clause in the deal with this power.

The Verdict:

This is a reasonably decent fee for Tavernier, though some Boro supporters would have wanted to see them hold out for more considering he was one of the first names on the teamsheet.

The fact he can operate in multiple positions also makes him extremely valuable and this is why the Teesside club may rue cashing in on him, though you'd back the club's recruitment team and Wilder to bring in a good replacement.

This money may also enable them to spend money on other positions and this is much-needed with another centre-back and at least two new forwards being needed between now and the end of the current window.

They may be regretting the fact they haven't managed to bring in more players ahead of their opening league game of the season this weekend - but they certainly have the funds to strengthen considerably before the window closes.

That is a positive in their quest to win promotion - and with Tavernier set to become unavailable - it's now time for Riley McGree to step up to the plate and see whether he can retain a starting spot.