Woodgate & £6m Huth sign for Boro

Woogate and Huth are likely to be Boro's new central defensive pairing

Middlesbrough have completed the double signing of defenders Jonathan Woodgate and Robert Huth.

Real Madrid and England centre-half Woodgate, 26, has moved to the Riverside on a season's loan with the option of making the deal permanent.

German international Huth, 22, has signed a five-year contract after completing a £6m switch from Chelsea.

Boro boss Gareth Southgate told the club website: "This is a significant coup and a big boost."

He added: "Both players have a point to prove - and the great thing is that they want to do that with Middlesbrough. I'm absolutely delighted."

Woodgate, capped five times by England, was also a target for Newcastle as well as Bolton.

But the lure of getting his career back on track playing for his hometown club proved too strong.

The former Leeds and Newcastle defender has been plagued by injuries since moving to Spain in a £13.4m move in August 2004 and has only played 14 games for Real Madrid.

Southgate has been tracking Huth for most of the close season but the towering defender's move fell through because of an ankle injury picked up while on World Cup duty.

Huth failed a medical in July but Southgate maintained his interest and promised to monitor the situation.