Aitor Karanka has signed a new four-year deal with Middlesbrough, club chairman Steve Gibson has confirmed.
Karanka came perilously close to guiding Boro to the Premier League last season, only to lose the Championship playoff final to Norwich.
The Spaniard will be hoping to go one better this season and ahead of the new campaign, Gibson has confirmed that Karanka has indeed extended his spell at the club, tying him to the Riverside Stadium until 2019.
"This is massive statement of the commitment Aitor has to this club," said Gibson
"For me this is probably the most important signing we will make all summer.
"We know that there has been interest in Aitor over the past year or so from clubs both here and abroad and rightly so because he is a very, very good manager."
Middlesbrough kick off their Championship season with a trip to Preston North End on Sunday afternoon.
For more stats on Middlesbrough last season, click here to view their WhoScored team page
