Middlesbrough’s summer window has yet to completely go into action, but things are gradually heating up at the Riverside as Kim Hellberg attempts to right the wrongs of last season with some crucial additions, and the truth about one of their top targets has emerged.

Middlesbrough’s defeat to Hull City in the play-off final last season will undoubtedly sting, but the team has no choice but to put that sadness behind them and try again.

Swedish head coach Kim Hellberg will be busy preparing for his first pre-season with Borough since taking over nine months ago, and he will be hoping to make some significant additions in specific areas.

With the departures of Dael Fry, Hayden Hackney, and Matt Targett, it is fair to say that the club is significantly weaker heading into next year at this point, though the free signing of Myles Peart-Harris and the £5 million acquisition of Kyle Joseph will go some way towards assuaging supporters’ concerns.

However, additional reinforcements are needed at the Riverside, and as Borough consider other options, the truth about their pursuit of an international midfielder has surfaced.

Middlesbrough is tracking USMNT international Max Arfsten while talks with Columbus continue.

Middlesbrough do not appear to be slowing down after signing Peart-Harris and Joseph; in fact, the reverse is happening.

Borough were interested in Aston Villa’s Lewis Dobbin before his recent £9 million move to Southampton, and the Teesside club is still reviewing their shortlist.

Now, Hellberg’s side appears to have moved on to other targets, as The Yorkshire Post revealed last Saturday that Borough were in talks with USA international Max Arfsten.

Arfsten, 25, has long been on Boro’s radar, with interest dating back nearly a year, but they have recently renewed their efforts to get the American to the Riverside.

The Columbus Crew player, who can play anywhere down the left flank, was called up to Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup squad but did not play a single minute.

Arfsten, a former Columbus and USA national team teammate of current Borough midfielder Aidan Morris, was reported by Pete O’Rourke on Wednesday morning to be in advanced talks with Middlesbrough as the player prepared to travel to England to clinch a move.

However, The Northern Echo understands that no move is imminent, and while Borough are clearly interested in the midfielder, no deal has yet been reached.

With 20 goals and 20 assists in 112 games across all competitions for Columbus, Arfsten appears to be ready to take the next step in his career, with a transfer to Teesside seeming like a possibility.

Following Targett’s departure, Boro’s current left-back alternatives are Neto Borges, Finley Munroe, and Alex Bangura, although Hellberg isn’t interested in any of them and is aggressively hunting for a successor.

It is anticipated that Arfsten will replace that position on the left side of defence; nevertheless, he is capable of playing farther forward and might even deputise on the left flank, competing with Jeremy Sarmiento and Sontje Hansen.

Middlesbrough is undoubtedly interested in the 25-year-old, but no deal appears to be imminent, despite earlier rumours, though Arfsten might emerge in Borough colours in the coming weeks or months.

Kim Hellberg has a big summer on his hands at Middlesbrough when the truth about Max Arfsten emerges.

With Borough narrowly missing out on promotion, Hellberg will be determined to return with a vengeance the following season.

A run of only two wins in their final ten league games, defeat in the play-off semi-final before Southampton’s elimination from the competition provided them with a lifeline, and subsequent defeat in the final to Hull would have been a tough pill to swallow for Hellberg.

He, more than anybody else, will be eager to avoid a repeat of Middlesbrough’s destiny the following season, and Arfsten’s arrival would aid to that end.

While negotiations are not as far along as originally thought, interest in the American is high, and it would not surprise anyone if a deal is reached in the following days and weeks.