Middlesbrough are looking to improve on last season’s play-off final defeat in the 2026/27 season, as exciting head coach Kim Hellberg begins his first full year in charge at Riverside.

Borough lost out of steam towards the end of last season, winning only two of their final ten games and falling out of the automatic promotion race, which they had dominated leading into the Easter Weekend.

In the play-offs, despite strong performances in both semi-final legs, they were unable to defeat Southampton, losing in overtime. When they were reinstated after the Saints were expelled for spying on Boro’s training sessions, Kim Hellberg’s side ran out of gas against Hull City and lost at Wembley Stadium.

Middlesbrough clearly need quality signings across the field as well as greater squad depth if they are to compete for the top two under Hellberg, but who are the highest-paid players at the Riverside as the transfer season enters its final stages?

According to Capology’s calculations, here are Middlesbrough’s top seven highest earners.

Neto Borges – £20,000 each week.

Neto Borges, who Kim Hellberg has yet to see in a Middlesbrough shirt, earns an estimated £20,000 a week at the Riverside, which is comparable to four other players we will discuss shortly.

Borges spent the previous season on loan at fellow Championship club Bristol City, while Rob Edwards preferred Newcastle United loanee Matt Targett. He appeared in 38 league games for Ashton Gate and contributed three assists.

Targett is unlikely to return to the Riverside on a permanent basis this summer, necessitating the signing of a new starting left back. However, if Borges has a solid preseason, Kim Hellberg may consider him.

Callum Brittain – £20,000 per week.

From one full-back to another, Callum Brittain earns an estimated £20,000 a week in the contract he signed last summer after leaving Blackburn Rovers.

The 28-year-old is more than qualified to be among Boro’s top earners, having been one of the best attacking full-backs in the second division last season.

According to Fotmob, no right-back completed more dribbles or had more touches than Brittain, and he ranked in the top 5% of his position for recoveries and possession earned in the final third.

Clearly, Borough will not be trying to replace him as they strive to improve on last season’s performance.

Luke Ayling – £20,000 per week.

Veteran defender Luke Ayling signed a new deal at the Riverside near the end of last season, worth an estimated £20,000 for the 2026/27 season.

The right-back played the most of last season as a member of Kim Hellberg’s back three. He missed only three league games this year and captained the team on occasion.

Such a large weekly salary may appear to be an overpayment for someone who will turn 35 in the first few weeks of the new season, but Ayling has spent the better part of the last eight years playing for top Championship and Premier League sides, so his experience at the heart of the defence is invaluable.

Delano Burgzorg – £20,000 per week.

Delano Burgzorg, like Neto Borges, earns an estimated £20,000 per week and spent the previous season on loan at Bristol City. Unlike the left-back, Kim Hellberg decided to let the Surinamese wideman leave in January.

The 27-year-old made four starts under the Swedish manager and scored a late winner against West Brom before transferring to Ashton Gate, where he only made four starts in the second half of the season.

He may not be worth being the Boro’s estimated fourth-highest earner right now, but having him off the bench would go a long way towards reducing the lethargic finishes to games that Middlesbrough frequently encountered near the end of last season.

Sontje Hansen – £20,000 each week.

Sontje Hansen, the final player alleged to earn £20,000 per week at Middlesbrough, has yet to demonstrate why in his short time at the Riverside.

Borough paid €3.5 million to bring him to the EFL from Eredivisie club NEC Nijmegen last summer, and he played just over 500 minutes of senior football across 19 forgettable appearances in his rookie season.

The 24-year-old hopes to be one of Middlesbrough’s players who may thrive in their second season under Kim Hellberg, but as things are, he is generally unhappy.

Morgan Whittaker – £25,000 each week.

Morgan Whittaker is tied at the top with an estimated £25,000 per week, having finally proven his worth in his first full season at the club in 2025/26.

The former Plymouth Argyle player failed to score in the second half of the 2024/25 season after signing for £5 million in January. This year, however, he was the club’s leading scorer and joint-leading assister, with 14 goals and seven assists.

There is still some frustration among Borough fans about him — six of those goals came in consecutive games, and he would frequently go on dry stretches — but if he can demonstrate greater consistency in his second full season at the club, he might be crucial in a promotion drive.

Alfie Jones – £25,000 per week.

Alfie Jones was Rob Edwards’ first signing at Middlesbrough last summer, and he was granted an estimated £25,000 per week contract, which put him at the top of the Borough wage bill.

Unfortunately, his debut season at the Riverside was cut short by an ankle injury in December, and he had to watch from the stands as his former club, Hull City, gained promotion at the cost of his new team.

Jesse Marsch, the 28-year-old’s national team coach, indicated prior to the World Cup that if the Canadian had remained fit, Borough would have crossed the finish line and be a Premier League team today.

Middlesbrough will hope that is the case this season, assuming their top earner remains injury-free.