Middlesbrough FC have reportedly faced a stumbling block in their pursuit of loaning Brighton and Hove Albion winger Jeremy Sarmiento to the Riverside Stadium for the remainder of the Championship season.

According to the Daily Mail, Kim Hellberg is looking to add more creative firepower to his Teesside squad as the Reds pursue promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since their relegation to the second division in May 2017.

The Swede has overseen a mixed bag of results since taking over from Rob Edwards in late November, with Middlesbrough only two points ahead of Ipswich Town in third, whom Sarmiento helped reach the Premier League for the first time in 22 years during the latter stages of the 2023/24 season on loan from the Seagulls.

While Hellberg and others, including head of football Kieran Scott, continue to look for potential recruits to help Boro’s promotion hopes, his team has won back-to-back Championship games against Southampton and West Bromwich Albion as they prepare for another difficult match against Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night.

However, his team will be brimming with confidence and belief after eventually navigating their way past the Baggies’ valiant efforts in the second period to ensure Eric Ramsay’s first outing at The Hawthorns ended in defeat, with Delano Burgzorg – who has been the subject of recent heavy exit talk – latching onto Aidan Morris’ through ball in the final seconds of normal time, with his composed finish seeing the Reds emerge 3-2 winners in the West Midlands.

Hellberg has already seen one player’move’ to the Riverside since the transfer window reopened for business on New Year’s Day, with Adilson Malanda making his first two appearances for the club against the Saints and Baggies, despite the fact that his long-term switch from Major League Soccer outfit, Charlotte FC, was confirmed back in September under Edwards’ management, with his subsequent ‘loan’ period with Dean Smith’s side ending in the final days of 2025.

However, while Boro have responded to four games without a goal with seven strikes in just over 180 minutes, it appears that there is still a fair amount of bargaining to assure Sarmiento’s signing in the coming days.

Middlesbrough FC faces stumbling block in loan move for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Jeremy Sarmiento

Sarmiento was first mentioned on January 6th by local publication the Northern Echo as one of several prospective candidates to bolster Middlesbrough’s creative options during Hellberg’s first transfer window in the English league.

According to the aforementioned article, it remains to be seen how many incomings will assist the Boro manager in striking a “perfect balance” with players who have frequently featured behind a lone striker in a normal 4-2-3-1 configuration, with Tommy Conway playing in such role at The Hawthorns.

Sarmiento, of course, is currently in the middle of his fourth loan term away from the AMEX Stadium, though his time with Serie A newcomers Cremonese has not gone as planned.

Indeed, the 24-time Ecuadorian international has only made seven appearances for the Italians, the latest of which came as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to Pisa on November 7th.

It was reported earlier this month that the 23-year-old had suffered an injury, which corresponded with his omission from Cremonese’s past three Serie A teams, as they return to league play on Monday night against Hellas Verona.

Sky Sports then reported that Brighton were considering recalling Giovanni Zini from the Stadio Giovanni Zini due to a lack of gametime and interest from Championship clubs, but such a move would only be made if interest in his services was deemed’sufficient’.

However, while the particular rationale has not been divulged, the Daily Mail has now stated that Middlesbrough and Brighton have reached an impasse in negotiations, which will come as a blow.

Middlesbrough will hope Jeremy Sarmiento’s loan move can be revived.

Given that the aforementioned Burgzorg has been linked with a move to Bristol City, as well as the overall need for further reinforcements, Boro will be trying to rekindle this loan bid for Sarmiento, who has previously thrived in the second division.

In addition to his flexibility, the Madrid-born player has gained promotion twice from the division with Ipswich and Burnley, scoring 11 goals in 75 games and previously playing for West Brom under Carlos Corberan.