ONE of the most drawn out transfer sagas of the summer should reach a conclusion this morning after Middlesbrough finally reached agreement with Everton over a fee for Ayegbeni Yakubu.

Yakubu has been angling for a move away from the Riverside Stadium since the end of last season but it had looked as though his wishes were going to go unfulfilled after Boro refused to budge on their £12m valuation of the striker.

However, after negotiations looked like collapsing earlier this week, Middllesbrough finally lowered their asking price for the Nigerian yesterday and agreed to a deal amounting to £11.25m.

After training with Gareth Southgate's men for the last time yesterday morning, Yakubu headed straight to Goodison Park intent on completing talks on personal terms and passing a medical.

A Boro spokesman said: "We can confirm we have agreed a fee for the sale of Yakubu and he has been given permission to talk to Everton."

If all goes to plan over the next 48 hours he should make his debut against Blackburn on Saturday, with Toffees striker Andrew Johnson struggling after withdrawing from the England squad this week with fluid on his knee.

Yakubu's situation on Teesside had become almost untenable and he was ordered back into Rockliffe Park yesterday after spending Monday and Tuesday away from the club.

As revealed in The Northern Echo yesterday, the 24-year-old had been expected to join up with the Nigeria national team in Macedonia but he failed to turn up while he tried to sort out his future.

It became clear Yakubu would be sold after last Wednesday's defeat to Wigan, when the former Portsmouth man infuriated his team-mates with arguably his worst showing in a Middlesbrough shirt.

It was then Southgate gave the go-ahead to chief executive Keith Lamb to broker a deal with interested clubs for a forward who has contributed 35 goals in his two seasons in the North-East since a £7.5m switch from Portsmouth.

Now Southgate will step up his recruitment drive ahead of the closure of the transfer window on August 31, with cash in hand to find a replacement up front as well as cover at left-back and on the right side of midfield.

Among the strikers being targeted are Heerenveen's Afonso Alves, PSV's Aroune Kone and CSKA Moscow's Wagner Love.

Southgate could also have more money to spend if Fabio Rochemback completes a move back to Benfica, although a change of manager there in recent days could have scuppered that deal.

Boro midfielder Lee Cattermole admitted yesterday he was sad to see Yakubu leave the club.

He said: "He was training perfectly fine today and I wasn't too sure what the situation was with him.

"He missed a couple of days training (this week) and I don't know why.

"I would have liked to see him stay. He's been the third top Premier League scorer or something over the last few seasons."

Former Middlesbrough striker Joseph-Desire Job has joined French Ligue 1 side Nice, from Ligue 2 Sedan, for an undisclosed fee. The 29-year-old Cameroon international has signed a two-year deal.

Southampton have reacted angrily to reports suggesting they want Derby defender Darren Moore as part of a proposed deal to take striker Kenwyne Jones to Pride Park.

Saints manager George Burley insists he has no intention of losing Trinidad & Tobago international Jones, 22, despite Derby offering upwards of £5m for his services.

Reports have now emerged suggesting Burley, whose squad is short of defenders following the summer departures of Gareth Bale and Chris Baird and an injury to Claus Lundekvam, could be tempted by the chance to sign Rams centre-half Moore.

But Southampton remain adamant Jones, who hit 16 goals last season to help guide Saints' into the play-offs, where they were beaten by Derby, is going nowhere.

Operations director Lee Hoos said: ''We have not asked for Darren Moore and George Burley has indicated he does not want to sell the player."