Southampton's Ramirez joins Boro on loan for rest of season

Ramirez, who spent much of the last campaign on loan at Hull City, has made 55 appearances for Southampton since joining from Bologna in 2012, scoring eight goals.

(Reuters)

The Uruguay international was heavily linked with a move away from the Saints during the summer as his time in England has been plagued by injuries and questions about his attitude.

Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka said he was confident Ramirez can help them win promotion.

"He is the kind of player who wants to join us and that shows he is committed to us. He has played in the Premier League and I think it is important to bring in players with this kind of experience," Karanka told the club's website (www.mfc.co.uk).

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)