Seny Dieng, Middlesbrough’s registered EFL squad goalkeeper, is poised to be left out for the second half of the season.

According to The Northern Echo, the 31-year-old will not be part of Boro’s 25-man squad, which is set to be published next week.

Dieng had two failed transfers during the January transfer window after falling down the pecking order at the Riverside Stadium, and he is now expected to sit out for an extended amount of time.

It has been a difficult spell for the former Senegal international, who last made a senior appearance for club or country at the end of 2024 before switching to youth football in the interim.

Seny Dieng is poised to be left out of Middlesbrough team.

According to the source, Dieng will not be included in Middlesbrough’s 25-man squad list submitted to the EFL, which will be announced next week.

Clubs must register any player over the age of 21 who wishes to participate in EFL-sanctioned competitions, but are limited to 25 senior players.

Lists are presented to the league at the start of each season and again after the January transfer window, allowing clubs to record any new acquisitions.

Dieng was signed in the summer, although he did not make a single matchday squad in the first half of the season, as Sol Brynn and Jon McLaughlin were both favored.

As if the gloveman’s status in the squad wasn’t precarious enough, Boro signed another backup option in Joe Wildsmith, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, pushing Dieng even further down Kim Hellberg’s priority list.

Seny Dieng will rue the wasted January opportunity.

It is apparent that the existing arrangement is not working for Dieng or Boro, hence January moves were considered.

The first was with fellow Championship side Hull City, but the potential deal fell through when it came to agreeing on a wage agreement, according to Hull Live.

Another move was proposed to Dutch club Feyenoord, but the agreement, which would have been a loan with a purchase option, fell through in the dying hours of the window.

Boro were claimed to be aware of the breakdown before agreeing to the Wildsmith deal, implying that Dieng would never be able to return to the Boro team.

It means Dieng will be out of senior football until the summer, which is frustrating given he had at least two excellent choices available.

His most recent appearance was in the Premier League 2 with Middlesbrough’s under-21 team.

Middlesbrough will find the transfer breakdown frustrating.

Not only does it feel like months of a career wasted for Dieng, but it’s also money down the drain for Boro.

According to Capology, the club is paying the Zurich-born goalie £10,000 per week, which is far from one of their top earners but still a big investment for a player who will be unavailable for the second half of the season.

Furthermore, when he joined from Queens Park Rangers in 2023, he signed a four-year contract, so he will still have a year left on it when the current season concludes.

Summer should allow more time to resolve the issue, which cannot possibly extend into the next season for either party, but it will not prevent it from being a cause of frustration for both parties until then.

Dieng, 31, still has plenty of years ahead of him as a goalkeeper, and with 168 Championship appearances under his belt, he has a lot to offer any future employer.

However, after two failed transfers, Boro are forced to continue paying a player they appear to have no room to sign for the rest of the season.