MARTIN Payero has completed a season long loan move to Boca Juniors after a difficult first season in England with Middlesbrough.

The 23-year-old signed a three-year deal on Teesside last year but departs back to his homeland in Argentina less than a year later. It has not been disclosed whether there is an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the loan deal.

Payero’s move to Boro generated a lot of hype with the highly-rated midfielder arriving from Banfield for a fee understood to be around £4 million. However, the midfielder struggled to adapt to life in England and a succession of injury problems meant he made just 15 appearances in all competitions.

His only goal for the club came in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City last October.

Payero’s former club Banfield has expressed a desire to bring him back this summer but have conceded defeat due to the timing of the English transfer market and their immediate need for players. However, Boca Juniors, who are currently supplanted in mid-table of the Argentine Primera Division, have won the race for his signature.

Payero has two years left on his current deal with Boro.