After less than a year as a Middlesbrough player, Martin Payero's time in England could already be coming to a premature end.

There was much excitement when Boro chased - and eventually landed - the central midfielder last August, with the Teessiders believed to have paid a £6 million fee to Banfield for his services.

Having featured in the top flight of Argentina football and also for Argentina's under-23's in the Olympic Games in 2021, Payero was expected to add some flair and creativity to the engine room at the Riverside Stadium.

His involvements in the first-team in the 2021-22 season totalled just 14 appearances, only starting five Championship games, and when he wasn't on the sidelines injured, Payero wasn't at all fancied by both Neil Warnock and Chris Wilder.

There has been speculation that Payero may not be a Boro player much longer for weeks on end, and now it looks like a transfer deal may finally occur.

Having not travelled with the Boro squad to their pre-season training camp in Portugal, Payero is now set to return home, with a loan move to Argentina giants Boca Juniors in the pipeline, as first reported in South America and then confirmed by TeessideLive.

It has been claimed in Argentina that Boca will pay no loan fee for the 23-year-old, however there will be an option to make the deal permanent next year should he succeed.

For Boro, it will be another body off the wage bill of a player who just hasn't worked out in the north east of England, and Middlesbrough supporters may have seen the Argentine playmaker play for their club for the last time.