Middlesbrough are said to be exploring a January approach for a highly-rated centre-back currently playing for one of their Championship rivals.
Boro moved back into the automatic promotion places after a commanding 4-0 win over Southampton on Sunday, and that result now appears to have been followed by links to a potentially significant transfer move as they aim to strengthen their push for the Premier League.
The emphatic victory at the Riverside ended a frustrating four-match run without a win, during which Middlesbrough failed to score. It also delivered just their second clean sheet in 15 league outings. Defensive issues have plagued Kim Hellberg’s side in recent months, preventing them from creating a clear gap in the promotion battle. Against that backdrop, speculation linking the club with a new central defender comes as little surprise.
Middlesbrough eye ambitious Charlie Hughes swoop
According to Football League World, Middlesbrough are considering an “ambitious” bid for Hull City defender Charlie Hughes during the January window. The 22-year-old has been a key figure for the Tigers this season, starting 23 of their 25 Championship fixtures and logging more than 2,000 minutes of league action.
Hughes leads Hull’s squad across several defensive metrics, including clearances (185), blocks (53), interceptions (24) and recoveries (107). He has also impressed in possession, topping the charts for completed passes (973) and passes played into the final third (74).
FLW report that the former England U20 international has been identified by Middlesbrough as a prime option to shore up their back line as they look to secure promotion. However, interest is expected to be strong, and Hull are unlikely to entertain offers below £10 million. Tigers owner Acun Ilicali has even suggested Hughes’ valuation could rise beyond £20 million by the summer, despite the defender only arriving from Wigan Athletic for £3.5 million in the summer of 2024.
Hellberg cautious over January business
Middlesbrough have already bolstered their squad with the arrival of Adilson Malanda from Charlotte FC, while several injured players are due to return after the New Year. As a result, Hellberg has played down the idea of pressing the club’s hierarchy for further additions, instead stressing his focus on maximising the current group while recruitment plans continue behind the scenes.
Hull sit just five points and five places behind Boro in the table, meaning any deal for Hughes would likely come at an added premium given the direct competition between the two clubs.
“That’s not my job, and I don’t want to be someone who pushes for those things,” Hellberg said. “We have Malanda coming in, and we also have a lot of players out injured. Every team deals with that, so it’s not an excuse.
“We need those players back, we need that quality and competition for places. I don’t want to sit here making transfer demands. My responsibility is to work with the players we already have, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.
“We’re in the same position we were eight games ago. We know we need to score goals, and not doing that isn’t good enough.”
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