Middlesbrough are set to land Reading midfielder James Harper.

The Daily Mail says Harper is poised to join Middlesbrough for £5million this week after Boro boss Gareth Southgate missed out on Crystal Palace's Ben Watson.

Middlesbrough also face competition from Fulham for Harper, who has spent seven years at Reading, but Southgate is hopeful he can convince him to move north after Watson rejected Boro terms and joined Wigan.