Tottenham sign defender Woodgate

Woodgate (top), the highly touted defender, scored one goal in 16 Premier League appearances for Middlesbrough.

Tottenham have signed England defender Jonathan Woodgate from Middlesbrough, the club have announced.


The clubs had earlier confirmed they had reached agreement for the 28-year-old who joined Boro from Real Madrid in August 2006, initially on loan with the move made permanent in April 2007.


Woodgate has made 19 league appearances for the Teesiders this season.


The details of the deal have yet to be announced but Woodgate is likely to cost Juande Ramos' side in the region of £7million.


Newcastle had also made enquiries about the player regarding a return to St James' Park but Magpies boss Kevin Keegan last week admitted his chances of signing Woodgate had faded.


Boro manager Gareth Southgate, who has the likes of Emanuel Pogatetz, David Wheater and Robert Huth available as cover at centre-half, explained that he agreed to sell Woodgate because his head had been turned by the chance of a transfer.


Southgate told www.mfc.co.uk: "You're looking for everyone at your club to want to be here and be part of it.


"We wanted to give Jonathan the opportunity to speak to other clubs because when clubs call you about a player it usually means the player knows about it anyway.


"We were then asking a question to Jonathan - do you want to be here and be part of what we want to do or do you want to head off?


"It seems he wanted to head off."


However, Southgate believes there is enough quality in the Boro squad to cope with the loss of an international defender.


He added: "We have some outstanding players in that area, internationals in Huth, Pogatetz and Under-21 internationals like David Wheater and Chris Riggott.


"There are also people like Matthew Bates, who's coming back from injury and young Seb Hines who is coming through the ranks and we think a lot of."