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Nearly 10,000 Middlesbrough FC fans have come together with one clear message this summer - sign Gaston Ramirez.

An incredible 98% of fans who took part in our online Gazette poll asking whether Boro should attempt to bring the Uruguay international back to Teesside next summer voted 'yes'.

We had more than 9,500 votes cast in total, and with the 25-year-old set to leave Southampton as a free agent next month, there is hope that we may see Gaston back at the club next season.

The Uruguay international lit up the Riverside during a five-month loan spell this season, scoring seven goals in 15 Championship starts.

That went some way to helping Boro clinch promotion to the Premier League, ending the club's seven-year stay outside of the top-flight.

Boro fans are certainly keen for Ramirez to sign for the club permanently, with 9,400+ fans voting 'yes' in our poll, compared to only 165 who aren't so keen.

'Enjoying playing football again'.

Currently on international duty ahead of next month's Copa America, Ramirez admitted he's loved life on Teesside this season.

"I’m enjoying football again,” Ramirez told Uruguayan website Futbol.

“I am very happy with the season we did. It was hard to keep up but we knew (we could get promotion) and I enjoyed playing again.

“When you play, you feel like a player and in the last four months I have returned to enjoy football."

Read more Gaston Ramirez on his Boro loan and the Copa America

Karanka on Ramirez

In March, after Ramirez scored to help Boro beat Wolves at the Riverside, head coach Aitor Karanka admitted he would be interested in signing the player permanently.

“For me, tomorrow!” Karanka without hesitation. “But we need to know where we are next season and if he wants to stay here.

“In Italy, especially, he was brilliant. It was nice for me in January because Gaston had good offers from Italy but he wanted to come to play for us and that was the main thing for me.

Read more There will be no shortage of offers for Gaston Ramirez - Karanka

"When I was thinking to bring him here – because, of course, when you receive the call the first thing is to say ‘yes’, because Gaston Ramirez is a player I like a lot – but after that you have to keep calm and to ask yourself why he hasn’t played for the last two years.

“When it was just because he wasn’t confident with his manager or because of injuries and you know the kind of injuries he had and you think with your methodology and your fitness coach, it would be a good move at that moment.

"And now he’s showing that he’s really good.”

Ramirez on potentially staying at Boro

The player - who moved to Southampton for £12m from Bologna four years ago - also admitted he would be interested in a permanent move to Boro back in March.

“At the moment I am only thinking about this team and winning the Championship and going up. But after that...

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“I feel I am good enough to play in the Premier League . I am fighting for that.

“I want to show that I can play at the top level. I want to show good I am. That is my ambition.”

And his Boro teammates love him

After Ramirez played a starring role as Boro brushed aside Huddersfield in April, on-loan defender Tomas Kalas paid tribute to his teammate.

"He deserves all the talk and praise for what he has done," Kalas responded, when asked about Ramirez's form since joining the club.

“When the game doesn’t go well for us it isn’t easy for him to show that and then he has to work hard for the team.

“But when game is going well then you see his quality. He tries to do more and more every time he gets the ball and he makes things happen for us.

“He’s the kind of player that can give us promotion.”

Read more Tomas Kalas discusses his future after second spell on Teesside