Middlesbrough have released Senegal international goalkeeper Seny Dieng by mutual consent, allowing him to join Greek side Atromitos on a free transfer. The decision comes after three seasons in which Dieng’s stock and reputation at the Riverside Stadium have rapidly declined.
Background
In the summer of 2023, Queens Park Rangers sold Dieng to Middlesbrough for a fee believed to be around £2 million, signing a four-year contract. The move was seen as a major win for the Teesside club, who had watched the Senegalese keeper rise from a free transfer from AFC Fylde to a fan favourite at QPR.
Dieng’s early career saw him develop at Red Star Zurich, Grasshoppers, Duisburg, and AFC Fylde before joining QPR in August 2016. He spent his first three seasons on loan at Dundee, Stevenage, Hampton & Richmond Borough, and Whitehawk, before earning a new contract at Loftus Road in the summer of 2019. His performances earned him two Player of the Month awards, 11 clean sheets, the most saves in the Championship that season, and the Players’ Player of the Year award.
Decline at Middlesbrough
After a promising start at Middlesbrough, Dieng’s form faltered in the 2024-25 season. He missed three games in late November due to illness and then conceded four goals in two matches against Burnley and Leeds United. A mistake against Leeds cost him his starting spot a few days later at home to Millwall. Injuries and a preference for Mark Travers, Sol Brynn, and Tom Glover meant that the match against Leeds was his final competitive outing for the club.
Dieng had previously lost his place to Brynn and Glover after returning from an Achilles injury last season and had failed to make a match-day squad before a reported move to Feyenoord in January. That loan collapsed, and he later joined Sheffield Wednesday on an emergency loan in the spring of 2026.
Departure Details
Middlesbrough’s decision to release Dieng comes after the club signed goalkeeper Radek Vitek from Manchester United. The release was confirmed this summer, allowing Dieng to move to Atromitos on a free transfer. The move means Middlesbrough will not receive a fee for a player who cost them £2 million in 2023.
The departure leaves QPR supporters with a sense of schadenfreude, as the club now recoups the £2 million fee they paid for a player who was once a promising free transfer from Fylde. The move also highlights the volatility of transfer sagas, where a player can be a massive winner for one club and a massive loser for another.
