Former Middlesbrough defender George Friend has joined Birmingham City after being linked with Nottingham Forest.
The 32-year-old was this week tipped with a move to the City Ground, but he will play his football for a former Reds boss next season in Aitor Karanka, the new Birmingham manager.
Friend rejected a new contract at Boro in order to sign a two-year deal at St Andrew's with the option of a third.
Karanka knows the player well having worked with him when Middlesbrough won promotion to the Premier League in 2016.
He made almost 300 appearances for the club and is capable of playing at left-back and in the centre of defence.
Forest today signed a player in the same mould in Tyler Blackett, another free transfer. Blackett can also play as a left-back or as a central defender, but the former Reading man is six years younger than Friend.
