JORDAN RHODES' deadline-day move from Middlesbrough to Sheffield Wednesday has been formally ratified by the Football League.

A Football League meeting has decided that the paperwork for the deal was submitted in time for the transfer to go through ahead of Tuesday night's 11pm deadline.

Rhodes has joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan until the end of the season, with an arrangement in place for a £10million permanent transfer in the summer.

League officials met on Wednesday morning to determine the outcome.

In a dramatic end to the transfer window, neither Boro nor the Owls were able to confirm whether the necessary documentation had been completed ahead of the cut-off point.

Rhodes was given the green light to travel to South Yorkshire yesterday tea-time after Boro officials accepted Sheffield Wednesday's £10m offer for the striker.

However, there were a number of financial issues that still needed to be tied up in the wake of Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw with West Brom, and these took longer to finalise than expected.

It is also understood that there was a last-minute discussion about whether the transfer would be a permanent deal from the outset, or an initial loan that would be converted into a permanent switch in the summer.

As a result, the final paperwork was not submitted until the final minutes of the transfer window, and even by midnight, it was still unclear whether the deal had gone through in time.

Rhodes was understandably keen to draw a line under what has proved to be a difficult 12-month spell on Teesside.

Aitor Karanka watched his side claim a 1-1 draw with West Brom last night, with Alvaro Negredo’s penalty cancelling out an early opener from James Morrison, and was at least able to welcome a new player to his squad in the shape of Adlene Guedioura.

The 31-year-old joined Rudy Gestede and Patrick Bamford on the list of January arrivals when he completed a £4m move from Watford, and signed a two-and-a-half year deal after turning down an alternative offer from Hull City.

Having previously played for Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace, Guedioura spent two loan spells at Watford before moving to Vicarage Road permanently in 2015. He had not been mentioned as a potential target until yesterday lunchtime, but Karanka claims to have been impressed by his performances over the last three seasons.

“He is a player I have a liked a lot for the last three years,” said the Boro head coach. “Even when Watford were in the Championship, he looked like a man.

“He is the type of player who has personality and quality, and he also has experience in the Premier League. It is not just a player I have liked now – I was liking him a long time ago.”

It is hard to claim the same has been true of Rhodes, with Karanka never quite dispelling the notion that he did not really want to sign the striker in the first place.

Having arrived amid considerable fanfare when he completed a move that would eventually be worth £13m last January, Rhodes was afforded just 15 senior starts in a Boro shirt, scoring six goals.

Speaking when he thought a move to Hillsborough had gone through, Karanka said: “My message is to wish him all the best because his attitude this year, in every training session and in every minute he has played for this club, has been amazing.”

Boro were approached by Leicester officials yesterday evening as the Foxes attempted to pull off a late deal for Gaston Ramirez, but their approach was rebuffed and, despite submitting a formal transfer request, the Uruguayan will remain on Boro’s books for the remaining three-and-a-half months of the season.

That should please Karanka, even if Ramirez will have to display some contrition before he is allowed to return to the team. The Boro boss was in a more markedly more upbeat mood last night than he had been at his pre-match press conference on Monday, although his barbed comments towards the board could still have repercussions.

For now, he is keen to look forward, and while victories for Crystal Palace and Swansea mean last night’s results have left his side just two points above the relegation zone, Karanka is optimistic about the future.

On Monday, he was saying he “was not sure” whether the current squad was capable of avoiding relegation. Having watched last night’s battling display, he appears to be more convinced.

“I am much happier now because when I finish the games and I see my players fighting and working in that way, I always will be really pleased,” said Karanka. “As a coach, you can’t ask any more from them. I am happy because their commitment once again has been amazing.

“I am optimistic. When we have Calum (Chambers) in the team again, and Gaston and George (Friend) back, then it will be even better. As long as I see this spirit from the team, I will be calm. I am not concerned about the position or the points because with the spirit of this team, I am really confident for the future.”

Karanka was especially satisfied with the way in which his players overcame the disappointment of an early concession to claim a point.

“It was especially difficult because we conceded a goal in the same way we did against West Ham, a set-piece at the beginning of the game, but the reaction was really good from everybody,” he said. “From the players, from the crowd, from everybody. We had the game completely under control.”