MIDDLESBROUGH have completed the signing of Morgan Whittaker, beating promotion rivals Burnley to the capture of the talented Plymouth forward.

After an agreement was reached with Argyle, Whittaker's medical took place in London on Friday before the signing was confirmed on Friday night.

It's understood Burnley made a serious late move to sign Whittaker but the forward had his heart set on the Boro switch. Other leading Championship clubs were also interested.

The fee is £5m plus £2.5m in add-ons. Whittaker has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at the Riverside.

Boro boss 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."

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Whittaker will further strengthen an attack already packed with quality, with the 24-year-old having dazzled for Plymouth.

He was subject to bids from Lazio last January and Burnley in the summer. The Clarets were again interested this month and made a renewed bid to sign him late in the week after Boro had agreed a deal with Plymouth. But Whittaker's mind was made up.

The capture of Whittaker caps a brilliant week for Boro, who completed the signing of Ryan Giles on Thursday and received confirmation earlier this week that Ben Doak will see out the season on Teesside. They're also set to be boosted by the permanent signing of George Edmundson.

The move to sign Whittaker this month was unrelated to Emmanuel Latte Lath's situation. Whittaker - a long-term Boro target - is seen as a replacement for Isaiah Jones, after his move to Luton Town earlier this month.