RUDY GESTEDE will complete a £6m move to Middlesbrough within the next 48 hours as Aitor Karanka looks to bolster his side’s stuttering attack.

The Teessiders ground out a goalless draw with Leicester City this afternoon, and while their first point of the festive period helped improve their position at the foot of the table, the fact they have failed to score in four of their last six outings is a considerable cause for concern.

George Friend recorded Boro’s only shot on target today, but Karanka’s attacking options will increase ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup third-round tie with Sheffield Wednesday courtesy of the capture of Gestede.

Aston Villa formally accepted Boro’s £6m offer for the 28-year-old yesterday, although it is understood that personal terms are still to be agreed.  Once they are concluded, Gestede will undergo a medical at Rockliffe Park before becoming Boro’s first signing of this month’s transfer window.

Having been born and raised in France, Gestede spent three years with Cardiff City before making his name with Blackburn Rovers, where he regularly partnered Boro striker Jordan Rhodes.

He joined Aston Villa for £6m in the summer of 2015, and scored five goals in 14 starts as the Midlands club were relegated from the Premier League.

He has scored four goals in 18 Championship appearances during the current campaign, but Villa boss Steve Bruce has tended to use him as a substitute and was willing to sanction his departure to Teesside.

Gestede’s aerial ability and physical attributes should make him a valuable attacking option, and his arrival will hasten the departure of David Nugent, who is set to return to the Championship on loan, and potentially also Rhodes.

Karanka is willing to sell Rhodes this month, with Bruce one of a number of Championship managers to have expressed an interest. However, Aston Villa are unwilling to meet Boro’s £12m asking price, and the Teessiders’ valuation of the striker might make it difficult to complete a deal in January.

“I want to finish the transfer market with a better squad than we have now,” said Karanka. “We have a month to do our things, and the club has been working really well behind the scenes.

“I was with my family at home (on Sunday), so I didn’t speak to Gestede. I have to keep calm about things. I’ve been thinking about the game at Old Trafford and then this game, so now we can start to concentrate on other things.”

As well as signing Gestede, Karanka will also look to bolster his attacking-midfield options this month. No one has scored fewer Premier League goals than Boro this season, and while today’s game once again showcased the Teessiders’ defensive strengths, their lack of attacking threat was extremely alarming.

Alvaro Negredo didn’t have a chance all afternoon, and while Ramirez and Adama Traore both had their moments, their end product didn’t match the quality of some of their approach play.

Karanka accepts that Boro do not carry the same attacking threat as some of their Premier League rivals, but denies that a lack of goalscoring ambition is a potential challenge to their survival ambitions.

“The main thing to score goals is to create chances, and we’re doing that,” he said. “We scored three against Swansea, but we couldn’t score today.

“When you have someone like (Zlatan) Ibrahimovich or (Dimitri) Payet, you can score goals. We were in the Championship last season and we have to be organised not to concede goals. When we score, we will win games.”

Boro also drew with Leicester at the King Power Stadium, and having led twice in November’s away game, Karanka felt his side outplayed the reigning Premier League champions in both of their meetings.

“We deserved to win both games,” he said. “It was difficult to recover from the disappointment of Old Trafford and a tough defeat, but the players showed they’re a really strong group and we’re working hard.

“We’ve shown again we’re better than them, and we can’t forget that they’re in the Champions League and won the league last season. So for us to show we could beat them in both games in just over a month is pleasing.”