Middlesbrough lead Championship as Sontje Hansen joins Gaziantep on loan

Middlesbrough are four points clear at the top of the Championship as winger Sontje Hansen joins Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantep on a loan deal with an option to buy.

Middlesbrough are top of the Championship and have confirmed the loan departure of winger Sontje Hansen to Gaziantep. The club's high-flying start under Kim Hellberg has seen them take 28 points from 13 games, losing just once, while Hansen seeks playing time in Turkey.

Kim Hellberg's side are four points clear at the summit following a 3-0 win over Charlton. That result extended their unbeaten run to five matches, a sequence that includes a 5-1 thrashing of Bolton. Will Lankshear, a summer signing, scored twice against Charlton and leads the team with 13 goals this season. The form has been built on a high-pressing style that has yielded 30 goals so far.

Sontje Hansen's loan move

Sontje Hansen has joined Turkish Süper Lig club Gaziantep on a loan deal that includes an option for a permanent transfer. The 24-year-old winger saw minimal action for Middlesbrough, playing just two minutes of league football between New Year's Day and Good Friday. He was an unused substitute in 13 of 15 league outings in that period and started only one of his five total appearances for the club.

Hansen is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue. He signed a four-year contract with Middlesbrough last summer under previous manager Rob Edwards but struggled to break into the plans of Hellberg, who took over for his first full season at the Riverside Stadium. His last competitive action for Boro was a 14-minute cameo in last season's play-off final.

Background and potential

The Curacao international, who has seven senior caps, was once a highly-rated prospect. He represented the Netherlands at various youth levels and won the Golden Boot at the 2019 FIFA Under-17 World Cup. That form previously led to reported interest from Manchester City. Before joining Middlesbrough, Hansen scored 12 goals in 64 appearances for Dutch side NEC Nijmegen.

His departure on loan follows the summer exits of Hayden Hackney and Morgan Whittaker. Meanwhile, other attacking players have flourished. Alongside Lankshear's prolific form, Tommy Conway and Riley McGree have combined for seven assists, and Brighton loanee Amario Cozier-Duberry has provided creativity from the wing.

Middlesbrough's focus now shifts to maintaining their league position. They travel to face Wrexham, who are 18th in the table, in their next Championship fixture on Wednesday. The teams last met in August, with Middlesbrough securing a 1-0 victory at the Riverside.