Middlesbrough are accelerating their summer recruitment as Kim Hellberg, the head coach, says officials are working hard to land new signings "as quickly as possible". The Championship side have already added Myles Peart-Harris on a free transfer and Kyle Joseph from Hull City, but Hellberg insists more deals are on the way.
What’s driving the transfer push?
Hellberg praised the club’s recruitment team for lining up targets who fit his system, stressing that alignment across the backroom staff is strong. He said: "Steve, Neil, Kieran together with me and other people are working very, very hard to get the best solutions." The club are targeting at least one striker and several versatile forwards, plus a couple of central midfielders, a left-back, centre-half and goalkeeper.
League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 5th in Championship, 80 pts, 22W-14D-10L from 46 games, recent form LLDDW. Boro also sit 15 points behind Coventry in the title race after scoring 72 goals and conceding 47 last season. Their final outing ended in a 1-0 loss at Hull City on 2026-05-23, with recent form reading 0W-1D-4L across the last five games.
How close are the new signings?
The head coach refused to set a firm timeline but stressed urgency. "I don't know how quickly we'll go but we're trying to get them in as quickly as possible," he told reporters after the Celtic draw. Hellberg added that squad depth remains a priority, giving youngsters chances to grow while the club finalises arrivals.
Boro’s recruitment trio of Kieran Scott and Chris Jones - who work closely with chairman Steve Gibson and sporting director Neil Bausor - have been identifying profiles that match Hellberg’s style. The Swede said: "They're very good at bringing forward names who suit the way we want to play."
What’s next for Boro?
The new season is less than a month away, with Boro’s first competitive fixture coming on August 5 against Wrexham in the Carabao Cup. Before then, they face Espanyol in a friendly at the Riverside on August 1 and a closed-doors game against Huddersfield this weekend. Gibson admitted last week that Boro aren’t yet ready but insisted they will be by kick-off.
With two signings already completed and more expected, Hellberg’s focus remains on the current group while transfers take shape. He added: "Until they come, it's a way to give people opportunities to increase the depth of the squad."
