ZACK STEFFEN is set to have a Middlesbrough medical in the next 24 hours, with the club hoping to tie up the signature of the Manchester City goalkeeper over the weekend.

While Chris Wilder has been putting Middlesbrough’s first-team squad through their paces in Portugal this week ahead of a pre-season friendly with Braga tomorrow, the club’s recruitment have continued to work on a number of potential transfers.

Steffen’s season-long loan move from Manchester City has been in the offing for a couple of weeks, and the final technicalities of the deal have been agreed in the last few days.

As a result, the American is expected to undergo a medical at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground tomorrow before putting the finishing touches to his switch from the Etihad.

Pennsylvania-born Steffen joined Manchester City from MLS side Columbus Crew in 2019 for a reported $7m. He had a loan spell at Fortuna Dusseldorf before returning to City in the summer of 2020 ahead of the 2020-21 season, which saw him establish himself as the club’s number two behind Ederson.

He has made 21 senior appearances for City, all but two of which have come in cup competitions, but with his prospects of playing more regularly next season looking extremely slight, Steffen has been looking for a loan move away from the Etihad in order to safeguard his status as the United States’ number one ahead of this winter’s World Cup. The US have been drawn in the same group as England for the tournament in Qatar.

City signed Stefan Ortega from Armenia Bielefeld earlier this month, and once that deal was completed, Pep Guaridola gave Steffen the green light to leave the Etihad Stadium.

Boro signed Liam Roberts from Northampton Town earlier this summer, but Steffen, whose new work permit has now been confirmed, is set to start the new season as the club’s number one following the departure of Joe Lumley.