Middlesbrough

Kim Hellberg says Middlesbrough's new arrivals Leo Castledine and Fin Munroe could feature at West Brom on Friday night (20:00 GMT).

Attacking midfielder Castledine arrived from Chelsea on 9 January after a stellar loan spell with League One Huddersfield while left-back Munroe, also 20, joined from Aston Villa on Thursday after impressing on loan at League Two Swindon.

Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees: "They are two young players that want to develop that suits the environment we have, I am happy with them.

"They are, I think, ready to play in the first team, we'll see if it comes to that [on Friday]. Both will travel, but we'll see.

"Leo you can see he is good playing around the box, scoring goals in different ways, good moving the ball, has power. He's a player who has done very good at Huddersfield and is now ready to take the next step.

"He suits us in more of a high central position, but we'll learn.

"Fin is a left-back, good up and down, good left foot, good physics."

Hellberg would not be drawn on reports linking Boro with Brighton midfielder Jeremy Sarmiento, adding: "We'll see what happens. It's more about working with what I have here."

The Swede said he had a "good conversation" with winger Sontje Hansen who was thought to be unhappy with his role, adding: "I don't think he meant what some people thought [on social media]. I don't make a big thing of that.

"He's been training good. We have had a good conversation. It's more about his taking his chances when he gets them."

Hellberg admitted it was tricky to know what to expect at The Hawthorns on Friday, with Eric Ramsay taking charge of his first game.

"It's difficult to understand what they are going to do," he said. "West Brom have been playing a certain way, with a certain structure for a long time. Quite offensive, good on the ball, they have performed quite well, even if they have not got the results.

"Minnesota played with a back five [under Ramsay] but it's difficult to know how much he will do or will want to change.

"It's a tricky situation. We prepare for different things and have to be aware of different set-ups but that has been almost a theme since I have been here. Teams try to find different structures to stop our offensive play."

Hellberg also revealed forwards Kaly Sene and David Strelec could return from injury lay-offs within 10 days, adding: "It's just a matter of time."

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento has emerged as a candidate for Middlesbrough.

BBC Sport understands that the Championship club are among those tracking the Ecuador international - who is currently on loan with Serie A club Cremonese - with several other sides from the second tier also understood to be keeping close tabs.

The 23-year-old has struggled to make an impact in Italy, having played only seven times in Serie A this season and is yet to score, with all seven of his appearances coming off the bench.

Sarmiento spent last season in the Championship with Burnley, where he played a key role in their promotion back to the Premier League. His performances there reinforced Brighton's belief in his long-term potential, but also highlighted how effective he can be with regular first-team football.

At this stage, it is unclear whether any potential move would be a loan or a permanent deal, with Sarmiento under contract at Brighton until June 2027 and discussions ongoing between clubs.

Image source, Opta

The Championship weekend and the Eric Ramsay era begin at The Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion host Middlesbrough on Friday night (20:00 GMT).

The Baggies lost four of Ryan Mason's final five games in charge to slip to 18th, seven points above the drop-zone, but the other was a 2-1 win over QPR in their most recent home game on 29 December.

Boro ended a run of one point from four games with a 4-0 thrashing of Southampton last time out in the league on 4 January and still lie second, six points behind leaders Coventry and two ahead of third-placed Ipswich, who have played a game fewer.

• West Brom have won two of their past seven home league games against Middlesbrough (D2 L3), beating them in 2022/23 and 2023/24 under Carlos Corberan.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their past four league games against West Brom, as many victories as across their prior 15 matches against the Baggies combined (D4 L7).

• This will be the first game in charge of West Brom for manager Eric Ramsay, his first managerial job in English football. Only one of the last six permanent Baggies bosses have won their first league game in charge (D1 L4), a 1-0 win for Ryan Mason earlier this season against Blackburn Rovers. He'll also be the first Ramsay to manage in the Football League since George Ramsay in April 1926.

• Middlesbrough have lost their past two away league matches, failing to score in both. They haven't lost three in a row without scoring since a run of four between April and August 2017.

• West Bromwich Albion's Mikey Johnston has the most assists of any Championship player this season (9), assisting a goal in each of his past two games at the Hawthorns.

Middlesbrough have agreed terms to sign Brighton forward Jeremy Sarmiento. (Lorenzo Lepore), external

The winger is currently on loan at Serie A side Cremonese after helping Burnley win promotion to the Premier League last season.

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

Middlesbrough have won the race for Aston Villa left-back Finley Munroe, 20, who has impressed on loan at League Two Swindon. (Pete O'Rourke, external)

Boro, Preston and Blackburn all sent scouts to watch 28-year-old Barnsley striker Davis Keillor-Dunn, who has 14 goals for the Tykes this season, in action against Liverpool on Monday night. (Pete O'Rourke, external)

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

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough have won the race to sign Aston Villa defender Finley Munroe.

The 20-year-old is expected to sign a long-term deal at the Riverside after Boro agreed a deal of around £300,000 with Villa.

Bristol City also made an offer but the left-back is heading to the north east, with the deal also including a large sell-on fee.

Munroe will become Boro's second January signing after midfielder Leo Castledine joined the Championship promotion hopefuls from Chelsea last week.

He was recalled from his loan at Swindon on Monday ahead of his expected permanent move from Villa Park.

Munroe made 27 appearances for Swindon, scoring twice, with Ian Holloway's side second in League Two and five points behind leaders Bromley.

He joined Villa after leaving Chelsea's academy in 2021 and made two senior appearances for the club.

His debut came as a late substitute in the Europa Conference League semi-final defeat at Olympiakos, before coming on in the Premier League against Crystal Palace in May 2024.

They came after he signed a new contract while he spent last season on loan at Real Union, Villa's sister club in Spain.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Middlesbrough and Bristol City have made offers for Aston Villa defender Finley Munroe.

The Championship pair are fighting to sign the left-back who has been on loan at Swindon this season.

The Robins' bid is around £350,000, with Boro's offer around the same and includes a sell-on clause.

A move from Villa Park could be finalised this week as Munroe was recalled by Villa on Monday.

Munroe has made 27 appearances for Swindon, scoring twice, with Ian Holloway's side second in League Two, five points behind leaders Bromley.

The 20-year-old joined Villa after leaving Chelsea's academy in 2021.

He has made two senior appearances, making his debut as a late substitute in the Europa Conference League semi-final defeat at Olympiakos, before coming on against Crystal Palace in May 2024.

They came after he signed a new contract while he spent last season on loan at Real Union, Villa's sister club in Spain.

Pundits Dion Dublin and Rob Green join host Jason Mohammad to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's FA Cup ties.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Wrexham 3-3 (4-3 pens) Nottingham Forest

• Preston North End 0-1 Wigan

• Macclesfield Town 2-1 Crystal Palace

• Everton 1-1 (0-3 pens) Sunderland

• Wolves 6-1 Shrewsbury Town

• Fulham 3-1 Middlesbrough

• Manchester City 10-1 Exeter City

• Newcastle 3-3 (7-6 pens) Bournemouth

• Stoke City 1-0 Coventry City

• Tottenham 1-2 Aston Villa

• Bristol City 5-1 Watford

• Cambridge United 2-3 Birmingham City

• Charlton 1-5 Chelsea

There are 18 third-round ties in the FA Cup on Saturday - 16 involving Premier League and Championship teams, who all enter the competition at this stage - and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Cheltenham v Leicester (12:15) - BBC Radio Leicester

• Everton v Sunderland (12:15) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Macclesfield v Crystal Palace (12:15) - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Radio Manchester

• Wolves v Shrewsbury (12:15) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3 & BBC Radio WM

• Boreham Wood v Burton Albion

• Burnley v Millwall - BBC Radio London

• Doncaster v Southampton - BBC Radio Solent

• Fulham v Middlesbrough - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Ipswich v Blackpool - BBC Radio Suffolk

• Man City v Exeter City - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Newcastle v Bournemouth - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 & BBC Radio Newcastle

• Salford P-P Swindon

• Sheff Wed v Brentford

• Stoke v Coventry - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Stoke & BBC Radio CWR

• Bristol City v Watford (17:45) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Radio Bristol and BBC Three Counties Radio

• Cambridge United v Birmingham (17:45) - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Grimsby v Weston (17:45)

• Tottenham v Aston Villa (17:45) - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London

• Charlton v Chelsea (20:00) - BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio London

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

And find out how to follow the FA Cup across the BBC this weekend here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Fulham v Middlesbrough" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Aston Villa", for instance.

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It will be interesting to see what Fulham boss Marco Silva does here, with his team on such a good run of Premier League results. I hope he goes strong, to try to keep their momentum going.

Silva has good record in the FA Cup anyhow, reaching the quarter-final twice in the past three years. He has also never lost a third-round tie with any of the four English clubs he has managed, and I don't see that changing this weekend.

Middlesbrough got back on track with a big win over Southampton on Sunday but they hit a sticky patch over Christmas when their goals dried up and it is pretty obvious that their promotion bid will be the priority for their manager Kim Hellberg.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Bristol City are keen on Middesbrough's Dutch forward Delano Burgzorg, 27. (Northern Echo - via subscription, external)

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

Middlesbrough defender Adilson Malanda says he has modelled his game on centre-backs Thiago Silva and Raphael Varane.

The 24-year-old was named player of the match in his long-awaited Boro debut during the 4-0 win over Southampton at the Riverside on Sunday.

Malanda signed from US side Charlotte FC in the summer but was immediately loaned back until the end of the MLS season, though he wasted no time in making a positive impression once he pulled on a Boro shirt.

He made more blocks (10) than any other player on the pitch against the Saints, four of which crucially stopped goalbound shots, most notably from Flynn Downes and Adam Armstrong.

"I'm really enjoying it, really pleased to be here and fully part of it now," Malanda told BBC Radio Tees.

"I want to thank the fans for the welcome because it was a great atmosphere to feel for a first game. Just really happy that it turned out this way for us.

"The most important thing was to get back to winning after those few results [four without a win]. The team was ready for it and I'm really happy that it turned out in a good way."

When asked who he looks up to as a defender, Malanda said: "Obviously Thiago Silva, he likes to defend, stand, never goes down, or rarely.

"Varane a little bit. I have quite a few of them, just taking from everyone."

Malanda described the Championship as "one of the most exciting leagues in the world" and said he was desperate to start playing.

"I had a chance to speak a little bit with the boys over there [in the US] and they told me it was a tough league, really intense, the duels and you can face really different teams," he added.

Hull City are set to sign 31-year-old former QPR keeper Seny Dieng once he has negotiated his release by Middlesbrough. (Hull Daily Mail, external)

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

Middlesbrough are planning to test the resolve of Championship promotion rivals Hull City with a move for star defender Charlie Hughes, who could cost £10m. (Football League World, external)

Boro are also keen on signing Ecuador international winger Jeremy Sarmiento on loan from Brighton, if the Seagulls cut short the 23-year-old's unsuccessful loan at Serie A Cremonese. Sarmiento has been promoted from the Championship during loans with Ipswich and Burnley in the past two seasons. (Teesside Live, external)

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

Image source, Shutterstock

Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg says the "belief" of his players was vital to ending their festive Championship wobble.

Boro had gone four games without a win or a goal before they hit four in 22 second half minutes to sweep aside Southampton.

The result saw them climb back above Ipswich Town into second and for Hellberg, it was vindication of plugging away.

The Teessiders had managed 80 shots and averaged almost 66% possession in accruing a single point from those four previous games before their luck turned against the sorry Saints.

Hellberg told BBC Radio Tees: "It was a well deserved win. It was a very good second half, a lot of goals and a message of belief and keep doing the things that we've done and that will give you results over time.

The win took Middlesbrough above Ipswich Town into second place and within six points of leaders Coventry City on a positive afternoon for Hellberg and his players.

The Swede added: "The intensity, how the players trained and worked every day at the training ground, how they are with each other and how they worked with their body language even in tough periods in terms of not getting results and the frustration of playing that type of football and not getting the wins or points from that, it shows the belief in the players in how they kept going."