MIDDLESBROUGH have followed up confirmation that they will open up the new Premier League season at the Riverside by announcing a second signing of the summer.

Colombian defender Bernando Espinosa has signed a deal which will see him become a Boro player on July 1 after his exisiting deal with Sporting Gijon has expired. 

Boro chief executive Neil Bausor, speaking after it was announced Stoke City will travel to Teesside on the opening weekend of the new top-flight season, hinted a deal was close earlier in the day.

Middlesbrough had already struck a £3.8m deal for Ajax’s Danish winger Viktor Fischer and former Sevilla defender Espinosa has been confirmed as the second. There has also been a new link with Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon this week.

Espinosa’s agent flew to Teesside earlier this week and only last week the Colombian centre-back revealed he was turning down a new contract at Sporting because of the opportunity to play in the Premier League.

Bausor said: “We’ve already announced that we’re bringing Viktor Fischer in from Ajax, we’re all working hard behind the scenes.

"Hopefully we can announce something in the next few days with somebody else and I can assure you we are working hard to bring in and strengthen the fantastic group of players we already have.”

Twenty-six-year-old Espinosa, though, is recovering from a cruciate knee ligament problem he will be working hard to try to be fit for the start of the new season.

Head coach Aitor Karanka is desperate to make changes to his squad to prepare Middlesbrough for the Premier League. He would like the majority of his signings to be in place for the visit of Stoke on August 13.

A trip to North-East neighbours Sunderland will follow a week later, while Karanka will go head-to-head with Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve.

Bausor said: “Preparations are going very well for us. It’s very exciting to see the fixtures come out and fantastic to see we’ve got a home tie against Stoke.

“Everybody will be raring to go for that and we’re looking forward to it. It was a tremendous achievement for us to get back into the Premier League after a tough season last year.”