Scott Borthwick appears likely to return to Durham from Surrey at the end of the season.
Borthwick, 30, joined Surrey ahead of the 2017 campaign, when Durham were forcibly relegated after accepting a £3.8million bailout from the ECB.
A number of players left the county, with Borthwick and Mark Stoneman joining Surrey and Keaton Jennings heading to Lancashire.
Now Borthwick, a batsman who also bowls leg spin, is set to become the latest player to return to the north east after all-rounders Paul Coughlin and Ben Raine rejoined from Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire respectively.
Borthwick, who has played four matches for England across all three formats, was part of Surrey’s Championship-winning side in 2018.
He has a year left to run on his current contract but will be allowed to leave for Durham, who are confident he will sign a long-term deal.
That means the ongoing Bob Willis Trophy match against Sussex will be Borthwick’s last first-class game for Surrey.
He made 50 on Monday in an opening stand of 164 with Rory Burns (103). Borthwick has averaged 32 in first-class cricket for Surrey, with four centuries.
