Southampton's Gaston Ramirez completes loan switch to Middlesbrough

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Southampton midfielder Gaston Ramirez has joined Middlesbrough on loan until the end of the season, lending weight to its bid for promotion from the Championship.

The Uruguayan initially joined Southampton for a £12-million fee from Bologna in 2012, but has mustered just 29 Premier League minutes under the management of Ronald Koeman this term.

"I am really pleased. He is a really good player who knows the league and the country," Boro manager Aitor Karanka told the club's website.

"He has international experience and has played in the World Cup. He is another good player for us."

Ramirez's stint on the South Coast has been hampered by a succession of injuries since he was signed by then-manager Nigel Adkins. It has restricted him to just 23 appearances in the Saints' first 11, coming at a cost of over £500,000 a start.

On Teesside, Ramirez joins a Middlesbrough club just one point adrift of table-topping Hull City, and is looking extremely strong for a return to the top flight after a 17-year absence.

"He is the kind of player who wants to join us and that shows he is committed to us," Karanka said. "He has played in the Premier League and I think it is important to bring in players with this kind of experience."