The club has clinched the signing of Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle for an undisclosed fee.
The highly-rated 24-year-old was attracting interest from a number of leading Championship clubs, and has opted to head for Teesside where he has signed a four-and-a-half year contract.
Born in Derby, Whittaker started with his hometown club and he also had a short spell with Swansea, but it was the move to Home Park that thrust the player into the spotlight and his signature was much sought-after by a host of teams.
Initially on loan with Argyle he scored nine goals in 31 games, and Plymouth paid out a reported £1m to sign him permanently in the summer of 2023.
Since then the former England youth international has bagged 24 goals in 72 appearances for the south west club, including one against Boro last season. This term he has netted four goals in 22 appearances.
Boro head coach Michael Carrick said: “We’re delighted to be able to bring Morgan into the club.
“There was a lot of interest in him, but it says a lot that he wanted to come here and be a part of things."