A new update has emerged on the likely immediate future of Brighton and Hove Albion playmaker Jeremy Sarmiento, with Middlesbrough interested in signing the Ecuadorian, who is presently on loan at Serie A club Cremonese.

According to Elliot Cook and Luca Bendoni of Sky Sports, via the publication’s Transfer Centre blog (19:44 / 12:01), the Seagulls are considering recalling the 23-year-old from Stadio Giovanni Zini ahead of a potential return to the Championship for the third time since his arrival at the AMEX Stadium as a youngster.

The current transfer window is Kim Hellberg’s first in command of the Teesside club, which is now second in the second division and will face one of Sarmiento’s former loan teams, West Bromwich Albion, at The Hawthorns on Friday night in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

It is building up to be a key window for the North East club, however, as they remain hopeful of returning to the Premier League for the first time in nine years, having previously failed in the play-offs twice.

In the build-up to the window, the vast majority of transfer talk around the Riverside Stadium focused on whether Hellberg would be able to keep in-demand England Under-21 international midfielder Hayden Hackney, who was heavily linked to a slew of Premier League clubs in the summer window before failing to dissipate throughout the first half of the season under Rob Edwards and Hellberg.

The 37-year-old has already made a statement addition in the current window, with Middlesbrough acquiring Leo Castledine from Chelsea, a highly-rated prospect who previously scored 12 times in 27 League One appearances on loan at Huddersfield Town.

And it is clear that, while the Reds reminded everyone of their goalscoring and creative spark with a 4-0 thrashing of Southampton at the Riverside on January 4th, Hellberg is still looking for additional reinforcements in those areas, which could be provided by a loan move for the aforementioned Sarmiento.

A new Brighton and Jeremy Sarmiento update comes amid Middlesbrough FC interest.

It was widely reported last week that Sarmiento had appeared on Hellberg’s shortlist of potential attacking possibilities at the start of the window.

The Northern Echo said that the Reds can now use Castledine, Morgan Whittaker, Alex Gilbert, Sverre Nypan, Sam Silvera, and Micah Hamilton as creative options behind Tommy Conway, David Strelec, and Kaly Sene.

Despite being only 23 years old, Sarmiento has become a household name in the Championship over the last several seasons, despite the fact that he has been firmly tied to Brighton since his original move from Charlton Athletic.

Indeed, the Madrid-born Ecuadorian played the first half of the 2023/24 season on loan with West Brom under Carlos Corberan, scoring just two goals in 21 appearances before joining Ipswich Town under Kieran McKenna.

In truth, his brief spell at Portman Road was extremely memorable, with his last-minute winner against Southampton in April 2024 proving to be a critical moment in the Tractor Boys’ back-to-back promotion success. He scored four goals and provided two assists in 22 appearances for the Blues.

Sarmiento then earned his second Championship promotion with Burnley at the end of last season, before joining Serie A newcomers Cremonese for the current season.

However, it is evident that the playmaker’s move to Italy has not worked, as he has only appeared seven times, the latest of which came against Pisa on November 7th, when he played 13 minutes in a 1-0 loss.

It has been reported that Fabian Hurzeler’s side are considering a recall, with Championship clubs on red alert, but such a decision will only be made if the Seagulls acknowledge widespread and substantial interest in the 24-time international.

Jeremy Sarmiento’s arrival might pave the way for Delano Burgzorg’s exit amid transfer links with Bristol City and Middlesbrough.

Sarmiento’s possible arrival would provide significant quality and Championship experience in the short term, while also potentially opening the way for Delano Burgzorg’s departure amid ties to Bristol City.

Robins manager Gerhard Struber recently disclosed that the West Country club had held conversations with the Dutchman about a possible move to Ashton Gate, where he would team up with current Boro loanee Neto Borges.

However, Sarmiento’s added vision and versatility could be one of several important factors for Hellberg if Middlesbrough can beat Ipswich in the promotion fight.