Middlesbrough defender Neil Taylor has agreed a new contract with the club, thus dealing a blow to the other clubs that wanted to sign him, as per a recent report by Football Insider.

The 32-year-old left back was due to see his short term contract expire this month at the Riverside Stadium, however Chris Wilder has now moved quickly to beat off any competition that there was in order to tie the defender to a new deal.

Taylor previously signed for Boro back in November as Wilder's first signing and has since gone on to impress so far for the play-off chasing side from the North East.

This led to other external interest from the likes of West Brom, Bristol City and Coventry, however it now appears that Taylor has agreed a contract that will run till the end of the season with Middlesbrough.

It is expected that he will put pen to paper on the deal within the next 24 to 48 hours, with an announcement sure to be on the horizon.

The Verdict

This is a great deal for Boro as they will be holding onto a player that brings a wealth of experience and knowhow to the squad as a whole.

Taylor has impressed in the short time that he has been at the Riverside Stadium and certainly deserves a chance to show what he can do up until next summer.

He may not start every game but he will provide a solid option for Wilder to call on when required as the club seeks to realise their ambitions of making the play-offs this season.

Given that other sides were said to be interested in the defender as well, this can be considered to be a coup in some quarters after Boro acted quickly to beat off the competition.