Amorebieta expected to complete Sporting move

Fernando Amorebieta is set to sign for Sporting de Gijón - pending the official word from the Asturian club which is expected within the next few hours. Alavés and Sporting have spent the summer tussling to sign the 31-year-old, in the end it was Abelardo who got his man, for a reported 300,000 euro fee.

Sporting have been on the lookout for a central defender after losing Bernardo Espinosa to Middlesbrough and Luis Hernández to Leicester, and Abelardo's preferred choice was the former Atlhetic Club defender, who joined Fulham in 2013. Amorebieta didn't manage to lock down a regular place at Craven Cottage and spent the last two seasons on loan at Middlesbrough. Once the transfer is made official, the player will join up with the Sporting squad for their summer stage in Portugal.