Report: Gestede set for Middlesbrough in £6M move from Aston Villa

Aston Villa striker Rudy Gestede is set to complete a medical with Middlesbrough on Tuesday before putting pen to paper on a move to the Riverside.

Middlesbrough settled on a fee of £6 million with Championship side Villa over the weekend and the 28-year-old just needs to agree a few personal terms before the move becomes permanent, reports Sky Sports' Michael Kelleher.

Villa purchased the Benin international from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 2015 for a transfer fee of £6 million, and since his arrival Gestede had made 19 appearances on Teeside, scoring four goals.

Gestede will have to prove his worth with Alvaro Negredo and Christian Stuani both seemingly in favour under manager Aitor Karanka, and will be competing with both forwards for a regular spot in the team.

His move opens up the exit door for David Nugent and Jordan Rhodes, who are expected to return to the Championship.

Middlesbrough is in dire need of a goal-scorer and although it currently sits outside of the drop zone with 19 points from 20 matches played, Karanka's men have the joint-worst scoring record in the league with only 17 goals.

On a positive note, if the Boro can find the back of the net on a slightly more frequent basis, they may have the right balance to survive this season in the top flight. Middlesbrough has only conceded 22 goals all season - level with third-place Manchester City.