Middlesbrough exit being held up by ‘bureaucratic procedure’, expected to go through on Thursday

Antonio Barragan from Middlesbrough to Betis in Spain is pretty much a done thing, but it’s not done yet.

Estadio Deportivo on Tuesday explain the situation, claiming all parties have agreed on the transfer, which includes the two clubs shaking hands on a fee and the player being happy with what the Spaniards are offering him to return to his home country.

However, the website also reveal that the transfer cannot be made official just yet because of a ‘bureaucratic procedure’ still needing to be sorted out between Middlesbrough and Barragan.

Still, Estadio Deportivo expect the 30-year-old’s exit from Riverside to be made official on Thursday ‘barring any last minute changes’.

The aim would be for Barragan to have the entirety of preseason with his new club where he will take the place of Cristiano Piccini, whose transfer to Sporting CP in Portugal has already gone through.

Barragan, who arrived from Valencia last summer for just over £2.5m made 26 appearances for Middlesbrough last season in the Premier League, but was unable to help them avoid the drop back down to the Championship.