Zack Steffen joins Middlesbrough on loan from Manchester City | OneFootball

Zack Steffen has completed his season-long loan to Middlesbrough from Manchester City.

Steffen joined City from Columbus Crew in 2019 and, following a loan spell at Fortuna Düsseldorf, the United States international goalkeeper went on to make 19 first-team appearances over two Premier League title-winning campaigns, his most recent being the defeat to Liverpool in last season’s FA Cup semi-final.

But the arrival of Stefan Ortega Moreno at the Etihad this summer appears to have pushed Steffen down the pecking order and with the World Cup coming up at the end of the year, he has joined Championship side Middlesbrough in search of more first-team football for the 2022/23 season.

“I think it’s a big coup for us and so I’m delighted we’ve brought Zack in,” Boro boss Chris Wilder said.

“We knew we had to improve the goalkeeping department. We brought in Liam Roberts and now we’re adding Zack who has just signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Man City.

“Man City don’t hand out four-and-a-half-year contracts if they don’t think anything of them.

“Everyone knows his situation, he needed to play because of the World Cup. He had an agreement with Man City, but he could have easily stayed there and sat comfortably as their number two. He wanted to go out and he’s agreed to come here.”

The 27-year-old has so far been capped 29 times by the United States and will be hoping to be the starting No 1 in Qatar.