Middlesbrough are in a fight with Hull City over the signature of free agent Bamba Dieng, who wants to move to England. The 25-year-old Senegalese striker has been linked with several clubs in England, including Middlesbrough and Hull City.
What happened?
Middlesbrough have had a busy transfer market so far this summer, with the sale of Hayden Hackney and the hefty Morgan Rogers sell-on clause providing the club with significant funds to work with. The club has prioritized its attacking department, and another target has arisen in the form of Bamba Dieng.
Why it matters for Middlesbrough
Signing Dieng would allow Middlesbrough to further strengthen their squad, particularly in the attacking department. The club has enjoyed a productive summer in the transfer market, with the sale of Hackney and the sell-on clause from Rogers' move to Chelsea providing a significant financial boost.
What comes next?
Middlesbrough will face competition from Hull City in the transfer market for Dieng's signature. The striker has expressed his desire to move to England, and several clubs are vying for his services. Middlesbrough will need to act quickly to secure his signature, as other clubs are also in the running.
Dieng started his career in Senegal, spending four years with ASC SUNEOR before joining Diambars FC in 2014. He broke into the club's senior side in 2019 and enjoyed a remarkable breakthrough season, finishing as the Senegal Premier League's top scorer with 12 goals in just 14 appearances. His prolific form earned him a loan move to Olympique de Marseille in October 2020. After initially featuring for the reserve team, he made his first-team debut in 2021 and announced himself in style by scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over AS Monaco. His move was made permanent later that year, with his best campaign coming in 2021/22 when he scored seven Ligue 1 goals in 25 appearances, although injuries and fierce competition eventually limited his opportunities. In January 2023, Dieng completed a reported transfer to FC Lorient. After a loan spell with Angers SCO, he returned to Lorient and rediscovered his scoring touch, netting more than nine league goals during the 2025/26 campaign. At international level, Dieng has represented Senegal national football team at both youth and senior level. He was part of the squad that lifted the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and featured at the last two World Cup's.
Middlesbrough have enjoyed a productive summer in the transfer market. Hackney's long-anticipated £25 million move to the Premier League providing the club with a significant financial boost. An even greater windfall has arrived through Rogers' switch from Aston Villa to Chelsea. Thanks to the sell-on clause negotiated when Rogers departed the Riverside, Boro are set to pocket around £20 million from the Blues' £117 million deal for the attacking midfielder. The combined income gives Middlesbrough plenty of scope to strengthen the squad, but spending big should not be the only approach. Targeting a number of shrewd free-agent signings such as Dieng, would allow the club to stretch their budget further, That could leave room for another ambitious move similar to Will Lankshear. With players like Ashley Phillips on their radar, they could make another hefty permanent addition.
