Championship side Middlesbrough are on the verge of sealing a deal for Oxford United's Marvin Johnson, reports The Northern Echo.

The 26-year-old only moved to the Kassam Stadium last year following a short time north of the border at Motherwell, with whom he scored 11 goals and laid on 17 assists in just 64 appearances.

And he transferred that excellent attacking form to his time at Oxford, as the Englishman scored seven goals and laid on 11 assists to help Michael Appleton’s side finish eighth in League One last season, their first campaign back in the third tier.

And, unsurprisingly, his fine form hasn’t gone unnoticed, with recent reports suggesting that Garry Monk’s Middlesbrough are on the verge of landing the League One sensation.

The North East outfit were relegated from the Premier League last season but were installed as favourites for promotion over the summer given their sizeable investment, alongside the appointment of highly-rated manager Monk.

And it seems that Johnson will be joining the likes of Britt Assombalonga and Jonny Howson as summer additions at the Riverside Stadium, which is likely to be a blow to Pep Clotet’s Oxford, who have made a fine start to the new season, but now face the prospect of playing the rest of it without the 26-year-old.

The Verdict: Middlesbrough spent a vast amount of money during the summer overhauling their squad following relegation from the Premier League, but they’ve hardly made the fastest of starts.

Garry Monk’s men have won just two of their opening five Championship games and clearly feel that further reinforcements are needed to aid them in their quest this term, and they appear to be closing in on another signing in the form of Oxford United’s Marvin Johnson.

The 26-year-old looks set to cost around £2.5 million with a further £500,000 to come in add-ons, so not quite like the figures spent on Britt Assombalonga and Martin Braithwaite, but would certainly provide Oxford with a sizable profit having only signed the Englishman last summer.

And although U's boss Pep Clotet is set lose one of his star men, Oxford did last year in the form of Kemar Roofe, and still managed an eighth place finish in League One upon their return to the third tier.

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