Ipswich Town are on the brink of signing Middlesbrough striker Alun Armstrong.

The two clubs have agreed a fee, believed to be £800,000, for the 25-year-old hitman.

He met Town boss George Burley and chairman David Sheepshanks yesterday (Monday) to discuss personal terms.

Armstrong has played just once this term for the struggling Riverside Stadium club although he has impressed for the reserve team and scored against Manchester United's second string recently.

The Gateshead-born front-runner started his football career with Newcastle before making a mark with Stockport County.

Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson took him back to the north-east for £1.5 million in February 1998 where he was a key player in their push for promotion the same season.

But he has fallen down the pecking order following injuries and poor form and is now behind Hamilton Ricard, Brian Deane, Alen Boksic, Joseph Job, Noel Whelan and Carlos Manelli.

He was sent on loan to First Division Huddersfield last season.

Burley recently insisted he was still looking to improve his squad and the capture of Armstrong would give his attack a boost.

Richard Naylor is currently on the casualty list with a hairline leg fracture.

Tests at Ipswich Town's Portman Road round have revealed that a soccer crowd cheering a goal can be as loud as a jet taking off - 118 decibels.

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