LEE Tomlin says he was told he was "not wanted" by Middlesbrough after he sealed a £3.5m move to Premier League new boys Bournemouth today.

Boro, who are pressing ahead with efforts to land £14m-rated Blackburn striker Jordan Rhodes, decided the time was right to offload Tomlin after the player became unsettled during pre-season. He has signed a three years contract.

And, as revealed in Monday's The Northern Echo, Bournemouth made the strongest noises and were confident of getting a deal done before this weekend's opening round of fixtures in the Premier League. They have confirmed the deal this afternoon.

“Lee is a player who we are excited about and will get fans off their seats,” Cherries' chief executive Neill Blake told the club website. 

“He is someone we have followed for some time and believe will fit seamlessly into Eddie Howe's plans.  The promotion race in the Championship last season was incredibly competitive and Lee was a key figure in a Middlesbrough side who went very close to going up. 

The Northern Echo:
FIRST WITH THE NEWS: While others doubted, Paul Fraser wrote about Tomlin's imminent departure on Monday.

“We believe he is ready to make the step up and look forward to seeing him play in the Premier League. Like the club, he has had to work hard to get to this point and is eager to make the most of this opportunity. 

The Cherries agreed a fee worth an initial £3m, but that will rise by a further £500,000 in add-ons. Personal terms were not an issue either and he travelled to the south coast to complete the deal earlier today.

Tomlin moved to Middlesbrough for £1.5m from Peterborough in January last year and caught the attention of a number of clubs last season after a number of impressive performances, including in the FA Cup victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

But the arrivals of Stewart Downing, Christian Stuani - who is waiting international clearance - and Diego Fabbrini have led to speculation about his future.

Sources close to the club claim that Aitor Karanka was not in a rush to lose him, but he became unsettled in recent weeks and he drove away from the Riverside on Saturday half an hour before kick-off despite his name being among the substitutes.

Karanka did state afterwards that he did not face Getafe because of a "stomach problem" and it appears now that he has played his last game in a Middlesbrough shirt ahead of a move to the Premier League.

Writing on Twitter this afternoon, Tomlin said: "And for everyone thinking I walked out or wanted to leave is not true I was told I was not wanted and could leave."

The player was also interviewed by his new club's website, www.afcb.co.uk.

"I am really excited,” Tomlin said.

“When I came here last year everything about the club just blew me away. I was playing against them and thinking ‘imagine if I played here’. I think the team’s style of play will definitely suit me. 

“I said to everyone that Bournemouth were the team to look out for last season. They were easily the best team in the league and it was no surprise that they went on to win it.” 

Reflecting on last season, Tomlin said: “Losing in the final with Middlesbrough still hurts now, but it’s another learning curve for me and hopefully I can kick on now and enjoy Premier League football with Bournemouth.

“Five years ago I was playing Conference football. A year or two before that I was playing on loan at Brackley Town, so I’ve played right at the bottom and now I am at the top. This is where I want to be and this  is why I’ve worked so hard.” 

He also paid tribute to Boro.
“Everyone at Middlesbrough was fantastic to me from the moment I walked in the door. It was perfect for me and I’d like to thank everyone there, but this was a massive step and I couldn’t turn it down,” he said.