Middlesbrough are lining up a January move for Lorient midfielder Arthur Avom, with Birmingham City also tracking the 21-year-old. The Championship's top two clubs are targeting a bargain deal for the Cameroonian international to bolster their promotion pushes.
Both clubs have identified Avom as a key target to strengthen their squads for the second half of the season. With 18 months remaining on his current deal, Lorient are expected to demand a reduced fee for a player they value highly. The French club triggered a one-year extension option to keep him until the end of this campaign, making the upcoming window a critical period for any sale.
Avom's rising profile
Arthur Avom has quickly become a regular for Lorient, making close to 80 senior appearances since breaking into the team during the 2024/25 title-winning Ligue 2 campaign. This season, he has started seven of his ten Ligue 1 matches, posting an average rating of 7.11 with 472 passes completed at an 88.2% accuracy rate. His defensive work is also notable, with 27 tackles and 51 recoveries already. His form earned him a place in Cameroon's squad for the last Africa Cup of Nations, where he added to his 17 senior caps.
That performances have not gone unnoticed in England, with Premier League sides including Leeds United, Aston Villa and Chelsea previously linked. Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg is understood to be seeking greater depth and a more defensive-minded option in the middle of the park, a profile Avom fits. The club's current midfield pairing often features Aidan Morris and Sebastian Berhalter, but Hellberg wants more competition.
Promotion race context
Middlesbrough's interest comes as they sit second in the Championship on 29 points from 15 games, a position that underlines their automatic promotion credentials. Their recent form reads two wins, two draws and one loss from the last five, a sequence you can review in full on our fixtures page. Top scorer Will Lankshear has netted 13 times in 13 appearances this term, though he has recently been sidelined by injury.
The next test is a home match against 17th-placed Bristol City on 21 November. Securing a player of Avom's potential in January could provide a significant boost for the run-in, especially after the summer sale of Hayden Hackney to Everton. Birmingham City, who lead the table on goal difference, are also in the market for midfield reinforcements, specifically to replace the departing Tomoki Iwata.
With both clubs flying high and in strong financial positions, the battle for Avom's signature is expected to intensify when the transfer window opens. Lorient, currently 10th in Ligue 1, will be reluctant to lose a key asset but may be compelled to negotiate as his contract runs down.
More detail at Football League World
