By Wayne Veysey

6th Aug, 2021 | 11:29am

Sources: Middlesbrough reach agreement on Bamba deal

Middlesbrough have agreed a deal to sign ex-Leeds United and Cardiff City defender Sol Bamba, Football Insider has learned.

The centre-back, who is a free agent, has been training with Boro this summer.

A Middlesbrough source has told Football Insider that the 46-cap Ivory Coast international has agreed a one-year deal with Boro.

The switch would see the 36-year-old reunite permanently with Neil Warnock who managed him during his time at Cardiff.

Bamba has featured just once since being diagnosed with cancer in January earlier this year.

Mercifully, the 46-year-old announced in May that he had beaten the disease and was ready to return to football.

He appeared in the Bluebirds’ final match of the season of the 2020-21 campaign, a 1-1 draw with Rotherham in May.

That was his 118th appearance for Cardiff, for whom he signed from Leeds in 2016.

He appears set to be Boro’s seventh signing in what has been a very busy window.

Martin Payero, Uche Ikpeazu and Matt Crooks all arrived at the Riverside on fee-paying deals.

Sammy Ameobi, Joe Lumley and Lee Peltier meanwhile have joined the club on loan.

Bamba began his career with French giants Paris Saint-Germain and made one senior appearance before switching to Dunfermline in 2006.

Aside from a three-year hiatus ending in 2015 in which he played for both Trabzonspor and Palermo, Bamba has remained in the UK ever since.

He has also spent time with Hibernian and Leicester City and was named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2017-18 Championship season.

In other news, player who trained with Middlesbrough this summer agrees to join different Championship club.