MIDDLESBROUGH have confirmed a deal has been agreed which sees former Blackpool defender Alex Baptiste become Aitor Karanka's first signing of the summer.
Baptiste trained with the squad on the first day of pre-season training this afternoon and now Boro have offically admitted a deal is in place.
The 29-year-old signs a three-year contract at the Riverside and will provide an option anywhere across the back four.
Baptiste has made more than 300 appearances in his career after starting out at Mansfield Town before joining Blackpool in the summer of 2008.
He was an important member of the Seasiders' promotion to the Premier League and played 21 times in the top-flight before joining Bolton in 2013. He was on loan at Blackburn, who had shown an interest in keeping him.
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