PATRICK BAMFORD has completed his return to Middlesbrough and then immediately turned his sights to proving he can be a hit in the Premier League.

Bamford spent the day at Boro’s Rockliffe Park training base to finalise a move worth potentially £10m from Chelsea and is confident Aitor Karanka will bring the best out of him.

“I have a point to prove to the Boro fans,” said Bamford. “I know the chairman (Steve Gibson), the manager and the fans, who all stuck by me when times have been tough.

“After my last three loans, I didn’t know the managers too well, but Aitor, the relationship I had with him, he put a lot of time into me and helped my confidence. I’m sure he can get the best out of me again.”

The 23-year-old forward arrived in the North-East on Tuesday night to undergo a medical and there were not any complications on that front so signed a four-and-a-half year deal.

Bamford will cost an initial £6m and the other £4m will be made up with add-ons. He has signed in good enough time for him to face West Ham United at the Riverside on Saturday.

He has struggled to make an impact at Premier League level since rejecting the chance to re-sign for Middlesbrough after his successful loan in the 2014-15 season, when Karanka’s side reached the play-off final.

He scored 19 goals in 44 appearances during that campaign and Karanka has made no secret of his desire to work with him again at some stage.

Now, after unsuccessful short-term stints with Crystal Palace, Norwich and Burnley, Bamford will return to Teesside desperate to show he can shine on the top-flight stage.

Bamford, speaking at his unveiling, said: “Looking back in hindsight it seems like I made the wrong decision not to come back sooner. I am just excited to be back. I always said you never know what the future holds, now I can’t stop smiling.

“I will play anywhere the gaffer wants me to. Now it is about getting the confidence and form back. I know I can play on the right, especially the way Boro play. But I am happy to play anywhere, even left-back!”

Karanka is working hard to change the face of Middlesbrough’s attacking options and Bamford’s arrival – not long after Rudy Gestede moved from Aston Villa in a £6m switch - has coincided with Emilio Nsue’s departure to Birmingham City.

Nsue, who has signed a three-and-a-half year deal at St Andrew’s, has completed a deal worth £2m to Birmingham, who play Newcastle United in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

Blues boss Gianfranco Zola said: “Emilio is a player that first of all has already won the league, he has offensive qualities that are important. He is one of the players that we were enquiring about."

Karanka is still looking to bring in further funds to boost his recruitment push. Discussions are ongoing with Stoke City aimed at signing unsettled former Barcelona man Bojan. Paris St Germain’s Jese Rodriguez, Hull’s Rob Snodgrass and Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu are also on the radar.

Clearly it will be difficult to land all of those players this month, which is why it is important for Middlesbrough to strike outgoing deals for some of those the head coach would be happy to see leave.

Nsue has followed David Nugent out of the exit doors, while Aston Villa are understood to have expressed a fresh interest in £13m-rated Jordan Rhodes. Sheffield Wednesday remain the favourites to land him this month, even if it is initially on loan.

Middlesbrough’s game with West Ham is heading for a sell-out. Around 29,500 tickets have been sold so far for the game, while they have also confirmed that there are only 200 tickets remaining for the trip to Tottenham on February 4.