Middlesbrough has had an excellent start under Kim Hellberg.
The Swede led his Boro team to a close 2-1 victory against fellow promotion hopes Derby County in his first Championship game since taking over as Rob Edwards’ successor last Saturday.
Boro turned the tide in the closing 15 minutes, with goals from Matt Targett and Morgan Whittaker keeping the Teesside outfit two points ahead of third-placed Millwall in the fight for automatic promotion.
There is still a long way to go in this second-tier season, with many twists and turns ahead, but it is critical that Hellberg’s tenure begin with a win, which will allow the playing squad to radiate the confidence they had when playing under Edwards.
As the Championship’s games pile up throughout the holiday season, the January transfer window will be critical for adding more competition and depth to the ranks and combating the division’s relentless character.
Middlesbrough will be looking to strengthen their team in order to give themselves the best opportunity of regaining promotion to the top flight, addressing any areas that may be lacking.
One of options is at left-back, but Boro are already on the approach of bringing Lukas Engel back to the Riverside Stadium after a loan spell in the MLS with FC Cincinnati.
And with this being a problem position, Engel may feel like a new signing, especially if he can replicate the form he demonstrated in the United States.
Lukas Engel’s loan spell with FC Cincinnati
Lukas Engel joined Middlesbrough in the summer of 2023 for a reported amount of £1.3 million and quickly established himself in the first-team system on Teesside, appearing 39 times and scoring two goals and providing four assists.
Engel was anticipated to build on a highly successful debut season for the club, which saw the team just miss out on the play-offs under Michael Carrick, but injury difficulties eventually limited his second term.
Despite playing the first three games of the following season, Engel confessed he shouldn’t have played so soon after undergoing a hernia procedure, and after an extended absence from the squad between August and December, his minutes were reduced due to competition from Neto Borges.
After six more games with only one start, Engel wanted to leave Middlesbrough in order to gain more playing time, and he went on loan to MLS club FC Cincinnati.
During that time, the Danish defender became one of the first names on the squad roster, starting 31 of the 33 MLS games he was available for.
He recorded four assists during that time, assisting the club in reaching the MLS play-offs, where they defeated the Columbus Crew but were defeated badly by Inter Miami in the quarter-finals.
Engel had some very impressive individual numbers in America, averaging a rating of 7.18/10 and producing a massive 33 opportunities from fullback, while his defensive contributions saw him make 133 recoveries and win 161 duals, according to FotMob.
These numbers demonstrate Engel’s ability to have an impact on a squad when given regular game time.
Meanwhile, there has been a twist in Engel’s transfer tale. He was supposed to make a permanent move to his loan club because FC Cincinnati had an option to buy, but a proposed agreement fell through, and the 26-year-old is now set to return to Middlesbrough now that the MLS season has over.
Lukas Engel can be like a new Middlesbrough signing given their concerns at left-back.
Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg’s first test comes at left-back, a position that has been weakened by injury.
Because of injuries to Luke Ayling, Dael Fry, George Edmundson, and Darragh Lenihan, Matt Targett has been called upon to fill in at central defence, while Alex Bangura has only recently made his first league appearance for the club and may require some time to adjust to the rough and tumble of the Championship.
So, rather than wasting valuable financial resources on another defender, Boro should benefit from Lukas Engel’s comeback. The Dane understands the Championship from his brief stint in the second division, and his statistics in America were good, suggesting he may help Boro maintain a free-flowing style at the top end of the game.
Engel’s versatility is also a huge advantage, as the defender played centre-back for FC Cincinnati but was at his most threatening when marauding up the left flank.
To maintain their promotion push back to the Premier League, Boro will need inventiveness from all across the pitch, particularly at full-back to support the wide players if they are not blazing on all cylinders.
And Engel demonstrated throughout his loan stay that he can be the man to offer this, given the large amount of opportunities he produced while in the MLS.
If given the opportunity, he has the potential to be one of the Championship’s top full-backs.
If he is to return to the Riverside Stadium as expected, Hellberg should seriously consider incorporating him into his plans, with this choice having the potential to be a turning point if Boro can shore up one of their squad’s few weaknesses.
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