IRELAND INTERNATIONAL RIGHT-BACK Cyrus Christie is nearing the exit door at Derby County.
HITC report that Middlesbrough are close to signing the 10-cap international having made an improved offer – this after reportedly having an initial bid turned down yesterday.
Derby are willing to listen to offers for Christie having already signed Andre Wisdom from Liverpool this summer. Garry Monk and Middlesbrough are in the market for a right-back with Antonio Barragan on the verge of a move back to Spain, and more specifically, Real Betis.
Monk is understood to have initially preferred Reading’s Chris Gunter, but the Welshman followed his club manager Jaap Stam in signing a new deal with the Royals this morning, and so ‘Boro have turned their attention towards Christie, who made 30 appearances in all competitions for Derby last season.
Christie has also been linked with moves to QPR and Reading this summer, though with Gunter’s contract extension it remains to be seen if the latter club retains an interest in securing his services.
The 24-year-old has one year remaining in his current deal at the iPro Stadium, and has typically been Derby’s first-choice right-back since arriving from hometown club Coventry in 2014. He has scored four goals in 173 senior appearances at club level, but has netted twice for Ireland in just 10 appearances.
Christie qualifies to play for Ireland through his grandmother who grew up on Dublin’s North Wall. He is the great great grandson of Shamrock Rovers legend Patrick Malone, and the nephew of British boxing icon Errol ‘The Thames Barrier Warrior’ Christie.
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