THERE may not be too much money flying around for Tony Mowbray to invest in his Middlesbrough squad, but the move for Jonathan Woodgate has the potential to make up for that.

Woodgate is, arguably, the biggest name Boro could have signed this summer.

Mowbray has been cutting costs rather than adding to them, so to have the opportunity to bring in a player with the quality of the former Real Madrid man has got the majority of Boro fans buzzing.

Mowbray has been looking at League One, League Two and in the bargain basement around Europe in a bid to bolster his squad, which is what supporters had been expecting.

So news of Woodgate's imminent arrival, pending a successful medical, at the Riverside Stadium has brought excitement back to Teesside.

Mowbray has worked wonders so far. While reducing the club's wage bill by more than half during his 20 months in charge, he has still managed to turn them from relegation fodder in to a team which narrowly missed out on a play-off place in April.

This summer was always going to be one of change. Ten players have left after becoming free agents, so the former Boro captain has had to look around in his bid to rebuild a squad on the cheap.

So far only Grant Leadbitter, Stuart Parnaby and Christian Burgess - all free signings - have been added to the squad, with the expectation of more to follow.

Emmanuel Ledesma, following his release from Walsall, is likely to be the next to arrive. Whatever deals that are sealed in the coming months, though, will not have the same impact as that of Woodgate.

The 32-year-old's track record for injuries has put many clubs off. The fact he played 21 times for Stoke City during a relatively injury-free season has clearly satisfied Mowbray.

More importantly, before a ball has even been kicked, the move for Woodgate has given supporters and the rest of the squad a timely lift.

His return to Teesside, where he had an 18-month spell under Gareth Southgate before joining Tottenham for £7m in January 2008, is a signal of intent.

Woodgate will provide the squad with much-needed experience and should help to make Middlesbrough a more attractive proposition for transfer targets.

Whether it is lower league players being courted by a number of clubs or Premier League young guns contemplating a drop in to the Championship, Middlesbrough's profile has been lifted again.

It had seemed such days had gone - and unlikely to return until Middlesbrough have claimed a place back in the Premier League.

Instead Mowbray and chairman Steve Gibson are on the verge of pulling off a major coup for a club that finished outside the play-off places in the Championship in April.

Woodgate is widely regarded as one of the finest defenders of his generation, whose progress and achievements have been harshly restricted by injuries.

Back at his hometown club Middlesbrough, Woodgate could end his career on a real high - and become a local hero along the way.

Provided there are no late hiccups on the three-year deal he has effectively already agreed, Mowbray would be wise to make Woodgate his captain.

This is a significant deal for Middlesbrough, for Mowbray - one which could provide the perfect start to a season everyone on Teesside craves.