Championship outfit Middlesbrough are on the verge of sealing a deal for Birmingham City defender Ryan Shotton, reports The Northern Echo.

The 28-year-old only moved to St Andrew’s last year following a decent loan spell at the club the year before, and has since gone on to become a key member of the Blues backline.

In fact, the former Stoke City and Derby County defender only missed three of Birmingham’s 46 Championship matches last term, but has so far this season failed to appear under Harry Redknapp, and wasn’t included in the squad for their 2-1 win over Bristol City on Saturday.

And now it appears that his short time in the Midlands is coming to an end, as recent reports suggest that Garry Monk’s Boro are on the verge of securing a deal for the centre-back.

The North East outfit suffered relegation from the Premier League last summer although their backline wasn’t to blame, as they conceded just 53 goals over the course of the campaign, fewer than the majority of sides that finished in the bottom half of the league.

Yet with the future of star defender Ben Gibson far from certain, new boss Monk clearly feels that reinforcements are needed to cope with the demands of the Championship, and bringing in someone like Shotton, who performed well throughout last season at this level, could be exactly what they to bolster their ranks.

It has been reported that a deal could be done in the next couple of days, and thus the 28-year-old could be available for their visit to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Verdict: Ben Gibson’s Middlesbrough future has been subject to speculation throughout the summer, with it likely that the 24-year-old will leave the club by August 31.

And it appears that Boro manager Garry Monk is preparing for his departure by edging closer to a move for Birmingham’s Ryan Shotton, who has impressed during his 18-month stint at St Andrew’s to earn himself the opportunity to move to the North East.

The 28-year-old is exactly the sort of defender you need at Championship level, and with Monk appearing to turn his attentions to defensive reinforcements, having spent £30 million on attacking ones, it seems that his squad is finally taking shape ahead of the rest of the season.

Middlesbrough and Birmingham fans… what do you make of the news? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!