Middlesbrough have signed potential 19-year-old centre back Abdul Okunola from Championship rivals Southampton.

As the transfer deadline approaches, clubs throughout the second tier are working hard to strengthen their squads ahead of a lengthy, exhausting run of games between now and the end of the calendar year.

Kim Hellberg’s side reached double digits in senior acquisitions yesterday with the signing of Rokas Pukstas, and there is still time to add an 11th player to the senior squad before the window closes at 11 p.m. A winger is apparently at the top of their wishlist.

But their drive to enhance their team does not stop at the senior level; Boro’s under-21s earned a defensive boost at the end of the window.

Middlesbrough confirmed the arrival of Southampton’s Abdul Okunola.

Middlesbrough began their deadline day announcements with the signing of young Southampton center-back Okunola, who will initially join the Teesiders’ under-21s side.

The 19-year-old earned his Premier League debut in Monday’s 3-1 loss to AFC Bournemouth, coming on as a second-half substitute for Ezra Tika-Lemba.

It appears to be a great signing for the Borough academy, with Okunola playing a significant role in the Saints’ sixth-place finish in PL2 last season, starting nine of his 13 games and appearing in their play-off defeat to Aston Villa in April.

Having played such an important role in the under-21s at the age of 18, the future appears to be very bright, and Borough will guarantee the 2007-born talent fulfils his full potential at the Riverside.

Abdul Okunola’s tenure at Southampton

Okunola played only three years on the south coast, joining from Chelsea’s development system in 2023. He signed his first professional contract at Southampton last summer.

His greatest highlight of the last year was the equaliser he scored against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Premier League International Cup in October. He started the match alongside Gavin Bazunu, Cameron Bragg, and Jay Robinson.

The 19-year-old was also a member of Southampton’s under-18s squad, which reached the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals in 2024/25, scoring in their third-round victory over Swansea City.

Middlesbrough will try to have the last laugh on Southampton by acquiring Abdul Okunola.

Middlesbrough and Southampton have established a little rivalry in recent months, following the spygate event, in which the Saints were ejected from the play-off final after being found guilty of spying on Boro’s training session ahead of their semi-final first leg match.

Borough fans have been eager to poke fun at Southampton after they signed a promising young player from their academy.

It may be a few years before we see Okunola play senior ball at the Riverside. If he progresses as expected, he has the potential to be a significant player for the Teesiders when he is ready to make the jump.

Middlesbrough fans would love to see an exciting young prospect progress through the system and play for the first team. However, it would be nice to see Okunola flourish at the Riverside and beat Southampton, who may come to regret letting the 19-year-old depart the club this summer.