Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg has replied to claims that the club is back in the running to sign Brighton and Hove Albion playmaker Jeremy Sarmiento.

The Seagulls ace spent the first half of the season in Serie A with Cremonese after being promoted at the end of last season, but has been extensively connected with a fourth stay in the Championship, either on loan or permanently, since the start of the current winter transfer window.

Middlesbrough surfaced as a clear possible bidder for the 24-year-old Ecuadorian international just days into the window, amid reports that Hellberg was planning to part company with Dutch winger Delano Burgzorg, who had been linked with a move to divisional rivals Bristol City.

It was then suggested that the North East club had cooled their interest in a move for Sarmiento, which had initially been hinted as another loan switch away from the AMEX Stadium for the versatile winger, and that Birmingham City, who have had an extremely busy window thus far, had emerged as front-runners to sign the 23-year-old on a permanent basis after recently loaning in his Brighton colleague, Ibrahim Osman.

However, just hours before the Reds rallied from behind to defeat Stoke City 2-1 at the Bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night in their pursuit of automatic promotion to the Premier League, the latest twist in this long-running transfer saga emerged, with the Teesside club seemingly back in pole position.

Kim Hellberg replies to recent Middlesbrough FC and Jeremy Sarmiento transfer events.

Indeed, it was stated at the start of the week that Birmingham had surpassed Middlesbrough and Wrexham in the battle to sign Sarmiento after discussions between the Madrid-born player and Hellberg’s side reached a stumbling block.

Given that the Blues having already signed both Osman and England Under-21 international goalkeeper James Beadle on loan from the Premier League club, it was assumed that their move for the two-time Championship promotion champion would be permanent.

It was claimed in the early hours of Wednesday morning that a deal had been reached between Birmingham and Brighton, while personal terms and legalities of the negotiations remained to be resolved.

However, later in the day, Luca Bendoni stated that Middlesbrough were back in the hunt for Sarmiento, hoping to derail the Blues’ pursuit of the playmaker, before the player apparently got the go-ahead for a permanent move to the Riverside Stadium.

The aforementioned Bendoni reported that the two clubs had agreed on a £3.4 million agreement, with Ben Jacobs later claiming that the saga might be concluded later this week if the transaction is authorized and Sarmiento successfully completes his required medical examinations.

In addition to his team coming from behind in North Staffordshire thanks to goals from Alan Browne and Tommy Conway, Hellberg was asked about the recent twist concerning Sarmiento, revealing that he had previously scouted his skill.

“I’m truly not sure (about the fresh rumors). We are attempting to determine what is best for the club. “We’re looking for ways to strengthen the club,” he explained.

“It’s having two notions in your head, as we discussed previously: is it for now or later? I believe it was fantastic to watch Leo (Castledine) today; he did well for 45 minutes and it was excellent for him to have those minutes.

“We’re now looking into whether we can strengthen the squad. Specific names are always tricky in this type of situation because they switch back and forth, so I won’t disclose too much.

Hellberg added, “I know Sarmiento.” He’s played for Brighton, as I mentioned before watching them play some Premier League games with De Zerbi. So I have seen him. “Good player.”

Middlesbrough will aim for an Ipswich Town-like Jeremy Sarmiento impact if the Brighton deal can be finalized.

If Sarmiento completes a move to Teesside, it will be a major boost for the Reds and, at the same time, a major blow for Birmingham. In the short term, Hellberg will hope he can replicate his impact at Ipswich Town, where he helped the club achieve automatic promotion with five crucial goals in the latter stages of the 2023-24 season.

With only 15 prior Premier League games, the prospect of proving himself in the top level in a new environment might be very appealing to the forward, who also won promotion with Burnley last season.

However, it remains to be seen whether any other turns in this drama occur, which may not come as a huge surprise.