Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough could rise to the top of the table should they defeat hosts Sheffield United on Monday (20:01 GMT).

Coventry's goalless draw to Oxford on Saturday afternoon means that Boro can retake their place at the apex with a victory, having previously been kept off the top spot by goal difference.

But the Blades are undefeated across their past three games (W2 D1) and are proving to be difficult to beat on home soil in recent times.

• Sheffield United have won seven of their last nine home league games against Middlesbrough, losing the others in April 2011 and February 2023.

• Middlesbrough have won three of their last four league games against Sheffield United (L1), and are looking to complete the double over them for the first time since 2010-11.

• Sheffield United have won each of their last four home league games, netting three goals in each match. They last won five in a row at Bramall Lane while scoring 3+ goals each time between April/August 1971.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their last five league games, last having a longer run in September/October 2023 under Michael Carrick (6).

• Sheffield United's Andre Brooks has scored in each of his last three league games. He'd only scored in four of his first 66 league appearances for the Blades.

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg says he was never worried Hayden Hackney would leave the Championship club in the January transfer window.

Boro rejected Nottingham Forest's deadline-day bid for the midfielder with Hellberg delighted to retain the services of the 23-year-old.

"I actually felt quite comfortable with him (still) being here," the Swede told BBC Radio Tees.

"The discussions were he wants to be here, you can see he wants to be here, wants to achieve here this year and wants to play here for a long time.

"I was never worried about him going anywhere - I put my belief in him so I was not so worried about that one."

Middlesbrough signed forwards Jeremy Sarmiento and Leo Castledine last month as well as registering defender Adilson Malanda and adding full-back Finley Munroe and goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith.

But Hellberg has also pointed to hanging on to Newcastle loanee Matt Targett as a key component to their promotion push.

"I wasn't always confident as we didn't control that one - they could always recall him if they got more injuries so it was always a worry but now they cannot recall him so I'm very happy about that," he added.

Middlesbrough are second in the Championship and visit Sheffield United on Monday (20:01 GMT).

With four wins on the bounce drawing them level with a faltering Coventry at the top it is now going to come down to who has "the X-factor" according to EFL pundit Jobi McAnuff.

In the latest edition of the BBC's 72+ EFL podcast, the former Reading midfielder believes that in Jeremy Sarmiento they may have signed a player who can get them over the line.

Sarmiento was a key component of the Burnley side promoted last season and was one of three signings to join during the window with the Ecuador international coming on loan from Brighton.

Leo Castledine signed from Chelsea after catching the eye on loan at Huddersfield with Finlay Munroe joining from Aston Villa's U21 squad.

While Sarmiento has yet to make his debut for Kim Hellberg's side. when he does McAnuff is in no doubt he will bring a "bit of magic" to Boro's promotion push.

"You look at the fact that he has been in teams that have been promoted – that is the first real tick," said McAnuff.

"He is capable of those moments of magic which again down the stretch there are going to be some tight games.

"You are not going to steamroller teams between now and the end of the season. So have you got that little bit of impact off the bench? We have seen him now on so many occasions that dip inside and whip one into the top corner.

"So for me that one makes sense in terms of a bit of X-factor, bit of knowhow, come in and really join the group which is full of life and full of energy at the moment and really flying."

Mark Drury
BBC Radio Tees' Middlesbrough commentator

Image source, Getty Images

It was a quiet end to the transfer window at Middlesbrough where the most important moves may prove to be the ones that didn't happen.

Hayden Hackney remains a Boro player despite late Premier League interest from Nottingham Forest.

Forest made two bids for the 23-year-old over the final 48 hours of the window but neither came remotely close to forcing Boro to seriously consider their position.

To lose their driving force in midfield at a time when Boro are second in the table would have been a massive own goal for two reasons.

Firstly, in the view of many experienced judges, Hackney has developed into one of the best, if not the best, central midfielders in the Championship this season.

He had clearly made a step up under Rob Edwards at the start of this season and now Kim Hellberg seems to have unlocked even more of his potential with Hackney marauding around the park, breaking up attacks, leading the charge forward and scoring spectacular goals.

Secondly, this season is Boro's best chance of winning promotion in a decade. What message would selling Hackney have given to a fanbase thirsting for a return to the Premier League, let alone Hellberg's squad?

The other man fans are thankful remains on Teesside is Matt Targett. There was a real concern Newcastle would recall their on-loan full-back because of a defensive injury crisis at St James' Park.

Targett has been outstanding for Boro this season and has helped them through a defensive crisis of their own, filling in at centre-half at a time when there wasn't a single fit central defender at the club.

Boro freshened up their attack in the window with the arrivals of Jeremy Sarmiento and Leo Castledine, while Finley Munroe is a long-term bet at left-back. Perhaps the biggest plus of the window was getting Adilson Malanda registered, six months after signing him from Charlotte FC (Boro had to immediately loan him back under the terms of the deal).

The defender has become an immediate fixture at the heart of the defence and has looked completely unflappable to date.

Fans' concerns will revolve around the failure to sign a striker. Boro had initial discussions with Southampton over a move for Adam Armstrong. The striker was keen on a move back to his native North East but as soon as Wolverhampton Wanderers stepped in, Boro knew they were about to become embroiled in a bidding war they could never hope to win and withdrew.

The loan departures of Delano Burgzorg and Abdoulaye Kante seem unlikely to damage the promotion push.

The key to the season will be whether Hellberg can get the best out of Tommy Conway and fit again David Strelec, while keeping the pair of them in shape for the last 16 games of the season.

Do that, and Boro may well be celebrating a return to the top flight come the start of May.

Image source, Getty Images

Today is the final chance of the season for your Championship team to do transfer business.

The window closes at 19:00 GMT, meaning teams - and fans - can avoid the usual late-night transfer scramble.

It has already been a busy window - for some teams anyway - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

Follow our live text coverage throughout the day here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Nottingham Forest have failed with an approach for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Premier League side contacted the Championship promotion-chasers on Sunday but it was immediately knocked back.

Boro are level on points with Coventry City at the top of the Championship as they look to return to the top flight for the first time since 2016-17.

Hackney turned down a move to Ipswich Town in the summer after Middlesbrough agreed a £20m deal.

The 23-year-old was happy to bide his time at Boro, having come through the academy and made 145 appearances, and choose his next move carefully.

Image source, Shutterstock

Sverre Nypan's loan spell at Middlesbrough has been mutually terminated.

Norway midfielder Nypan had been on loan at the Riverside from Manchester City for the whole season, but he has now returned to his parent club.

The 19-year-old, who was signed by City last summer from Rosenborg, made 21 appearances for Boro, but only started three of those games.

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg paid tribute to his team's defensive side as Boro hung on to beat in-form Norwich City.

The home side survived mounting pressure in the second half as they held on to win 1-0 thanks to Hayden Hackney's 17th-minute long-range strike.

A 17th win of the season lifted Boro level on points with Coventry City and behind the Championbship leaders on goal difference as the Sky Blues were beaten at QPR.

"The last five minutes of this game were in some ways the ugliest thing I have seen on a football pitch and in some ways the most beautiful thing," he told BBC Radio Tees.

"It was passion, everyone involved. The crowd was unbelievable, the players understood everything in terms of playing the way we needed to play in those five minutes, so I think that was very, very beautiful and something very special.

"It felt like it wasn't our best day with the ball but then [it's about] how you defend like that in the second half. That is against a team that has done four wins in a row.

"How you defend with that heart and that passion and doing that together and still keeping them away from clear chances - the passion and the energy, that's what I'm going to take away with me. It was unbelievable."

New signing Jeremy Sarmiento will fit perfectly into the way Middlesbrough play, says head coach Kim Hellberg.

The winger, 23, joined on loan from Brighton this week having been a key member of Burnley's promotion-winning side last season.

"He's a very good footballer. I love how he moves, presses, attacks and his technique," Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees.

"He hasn't played for a while so we have to understand it will take a little while for him to be game fit. Everything with him in terms of how he acts, talks and football-wise, that's a player that suits the way we want to play very well."

Sarmiento is Boro's third arrival in the transfer window alongside attacking midfielder Leo Castledine and young full-back Finley Munroe, but Hellberg is unsure if there will be further additions.

"I'm quite happy with the players we have but you want to have as good a team as possible so if the recruitment team finds a good player and thinks we can sign him, and we think he'll make a good addition to the squad of course we'll try to do that."

Middlesbrough are second in the Championship as they prepare to meet Norwich City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough midfielder Abdoulaye Kante will spend the rest of the season on loan at Saint-Etienne.

Kante only moved to Boro last summer for an undisclosed fee on a five-year contract from French side Troyes.

The Ivory Coast player appeared in five games, but only started one Championship match.

All of those were during Rob Edwards' spell in charge, with Kante yet to play since Kim Hellberg arrived as head coach although he did have surgery on a sports hernia injury in the autumn.

Kante joins with Saint-Etienne fifth in France's Ligue 2.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough will look to keep their promotion bid on track when they welcome much-improved Norwich City on Saturday (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Boro - who are second and five points clear of Ipswich in third - have bounced back from a four-game winless run with four straight victories for the second time under Kim Hellberg, having also won his first four games in charge.

The Canaries are now 18th and four points clear of the drop zone after three straight wins and have picked up 24 points in 14 games under Philippe Clement, compared to just nine in the 15 matches before he took over as boss.

• Middlesbrough are unbeaten in their past eight league meetings with Norwich (W5 D3), after losing five straight against them prior to this current run (between September 2017 and November 2020).

• Norwich's most recent Championship away win against Middlesbrough in 2021-22, under Daniel Farke (1-0). Since then, the Canaries are winless in three away trips to face Boro (D1 L2), conceding eight goals and only scoring twice.

• Middlesbrough are looking to win five consecutive Championship matches for the first time since October 2023, in what was a six-game streak under Michael Carrick.

• Middlesbrough's Morgan Whittaker has been directly involved in 10 goals in 12 Championship appearances under Kim Hellberg (7 goals, 3 assists); more than any other player in the division since Hellberg took charge last November.

• Anis Ben Slimane has scored in each of his past three Championship appearances for Norwich, and now has more goals in five league games this term (3) than he managed in 33 outings for the Canaries last season (2).

Bristol City are closing in on a loan deal for Middlesbrough forward Delano Burgzorg, 27. (Bristol Post), external

For more transfer news and rumours, read Thursday's full gossip column here.

Neil Maddison has given his verdict on new Boro signing Jeremy Sarmiento believing the Brighton loanee "fits the bill" as the Teesside club chase promotion.

Former Middlesbrough midfielder Maddison believes that the Ecuador international will improve under boss Kim Hellberg after joining on Tuesday, despite limited game time during a loan spell at Cremonese.

The 23-year-old only made seven appearances while on loan at the Serie A side, all coming from the bench.

"I'm sure [Hellberg] will get a tune out of him," Maddison told BBC Radio Tees.

"He's got a little bit about him in terms of his pace, technically he's very good so I think he fits the bill for the way we play.

"It's another good addition, it gives you another option and I'm just hopeful that he can start firing, and grow under Kim Hellberg."

Listen to Maddison's full thoughts and more Middlesbrough content on BBC Sounds.

Middlesbrough have beaten Birmingham City to a loan deal for Brighton and Ecuador winger Jeremy Sarmiento, which includes an obligation to buy the 23-year-old on a four-and-a-half-year deal for £3.2m. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Monday's gossip column here.