Middlesbrough’s summer transfer market is already underway, as Kim Hellberg tries to return to the Championship top eight next season with some significant arrivals while also dealing with some potential exits.

Middlesbrough, who narrowly missed out on a place in the Premier League last season, sliding away from the top two in the last stretch and then losing in the play-off final, will be trying to make a comeback next year.

Myles Peart-Harris has arrived on a free transfer from Oxford United, following former Brighton and Hove Albion winger Jeremy Sarmiento through the Riverside doors to begin their summer business.

However, the largest deal they have been involved in thus far, and likely will be this summer, is a probable £24 million agreement that will see Hayden Hackney join Premier League club Everton.

Hackney, 24, leaves a massive space in the middle of the park on Teesside and will be difficult to replace, as FLW looks at five more players who could depart the club in the coming weeks and months.

Seny Dieng

Seny Dieng, a 31-year-old Senegalese shot-stopper, has had a difficult 18 months, having played little first-team football since suffering an Achilles injury in December 2024.

Since his injury, the former QPR goalkeeper has fallen behind Sol Brynn and Jon McLaughlin in the pecking order at the Riverside, and aside from a three-game emergency loan with Sheffield Wednesday midway through the season, he has barely kicked a ball in more for 18 months.

Dieng, who is under contract until the summer of 2027, was close to a move to Hull City in January as a backup option, but the move never materialised, and he is unlikely to force his way into Hellberg’s plans since, so he appears likely to leave the club this summer.

Abdoulaye Kante

French midfielder Abdoulaye Kante joined Middlesbrough from Troyes last summer for roughly £3 million, and given that the previous French midfielder with the same name to play in England was not half awful, he arrived with a lot of anticipation.

However, Kante struggled for game time upon his debut and returned to France in January with second-tier promotion-chasing Saint Etienne, where he soon established himself as a regular.

The sale includes a buy option, but Saint Etienne needed promotion to have a realistic chance of signing him this summer, as Kante is scheduled to return to Borough for pre-season.

It is unclear whether he will be a part of Hellberg’s plans for next season, but given his prior lack of minutes under the Swede, it would not be surprising if he leaves the club permanently this summer.

Neto Borges

Neto Borges, a 28-year-old Brazilian left-back, has recently finished his second year in England after joining Middlesbrough from French club Clermont Foot for £1.5 million in the summer of 2024.

Borges joined Bristol City on loan at the start of last season and went on to make 40 appearances for the Robins in all competitions, paving the way for a permanent move to Ashton Gate.

The left-back did not have the opportunity to make an impression under Hellberg before his departure, and with Matt Targett unlikely to return, there is a vacancy in that position to fill.

With his contract expiring next summer, it’s unclear whether Borges will fill the vacancy, as he might follow Hackney out the door this summer.

Delano Burgzorg

Delano Burgzorg, like Borges, joined Bristol City on loan last season, but only in the January transfer window after the arrivals of Leo Castledine and Jeremy Sarmiento.

Burgzorg, 27, still has two years on his current Riverside contract, but it’s unclear whether he’ll see it through.

The Surinamese has eight goals and five assists in 71 appearances for Borough in all competitions before joining Bristol City on loan in January, and with Hellberg reportedly not interested in him, a permanent departure is a real possibility this summer.