Middlesbrough have announced the signing of defender Sol Bamba on a one-year deal.
The 36-year-old was not offered a new deal concluding his contract at Cardiff City and became a free agent last month.
He was asked to train with Middlesbrough by his former Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock and after improving his fitness and impressing in his short stint on Teesside, he has now been offered a permanent position at the club.
The North-East club are short in numbers at the back with just Dael Fry and Grant Hall their only senior natural centre-backs. Full-backs Anfernee Dijksteel, Marc Bola, and Lee Peltier can fill in if needs be, as can midfielder Paddy McNair, but Bamba will give the Boro back line more stability.
The Ivory Coast international becomes the clubs eighth signing of the summer. He joins the likes of Joe Lumley, Luke Daniels, Lee Peltier, Matt Crooks, Martin Payero, Sammy Ameobi, Uche Ikpeazu as a new arrival.
As well as an on-field role, Bamba will also be offered a chance to work with Middlesbrough’s youngsters in a training capacity.
He boasts a wealth of experience having plied his trade for Cardiff, Leeds United, and Leicester City in the EFL, whereas he has also turned out for PSG, Trabzonspor, and Palermo amongst others throughout his 17-year playing career so far.
Thoughts
This is a problem area for Middlesbrough and any sort of injury could expose their lack of options and lack of depth. Last season this did prove to be the case, with both Grant Hall and Dael Fry having been injured.
Warnock was clear to address his want for cover at centre-back and they couldn’t have got a more experienced man to help them. Bamba is a player the Boro boss knows extremely well and will not only provide experience, but well-needed leadership too.
It is not expected that Bamba will be first-choice, but he will provide a useful asset when they want to tighten up, switch to a back-three, close out a game, or he can be used in rotation with Hall and Fry if his fitness allows.
