Middlesbrough are moving closer to confirming Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg as their next head coach. Reports suggest the Championship club have already reached an agreement with the 37-year-old and are simply waiting on his work permit before making the appointment official.
Hellberg is expected to replace Rob Edwards, who departed for Premier League strugglers Wolves. He will inherit a side that has made an excellent start to the campaign, with Boro currently sitting second in the Championship behind Coventry City. His arrival will allow him to evaluate his squad in detail and begin planning for the January transfer window — a period that could give him the opportunity to link up again with some of the players he worked with at Hammarby. With that in mind, here are three members of the Swedish club’s squad who could realistically come into Middlesbrough’s thinking in the months ahead.
Montader Madjed
Madjed is widely regarded as one of Sweden’s top emerging prospects. Sportbladet reported last year that Juventus and Feyenoord were tracking him, though he opted to sign a new deal with Hammarby instead. The 20-year-old right-sided attacker has become a key figure in Hellberg’s lineup, making 29 appearances this season while scoring 10 goals and adding five assists.
Capable of operating on either flank or through the middle as a striker, his versatility makes him attractive to any club. Speaking to Fotbollskanalen in May, Hellberg praised him highly, noting: “He has incredible attacking quality and scored a goal few others in our squad could produce.”
Adrian Lahdo
Despite being only 17, Lahdo forced his way into the first-team picture over the past year. He featured 18 times in all competitions, registering one goal and five assists before the Swedish season wrapped up in early November. After mainly being used from the bench early on, he started Hammarby’s final five league games, recording a goal and three assists in that stretch.
He represents the club’s ongoing commitment to giving young talents genuine opportunities — a philosophy Hellberg has embraced.
Paulos Abraham
Another attacking option who could interest Middlesbrough is Paulos Abraham. The 23-year-old, who arrived at Hammarby in January, produced strong attacking numbers throughout the campaign. In the final nine league fixtures alone, he recorded 10 goal contributions, including seven goals.
Abraham is comfortable playing centrally or on either wing, making him a valuable multi-position forward — something that may prove important as Championship fixtures pile up after the international break and injuries inevitably take their toll.
Hellberg summed up his approach earlier this year: “I’ve been brought in to improve our results and also to develop the squad. That includes working with young players. ‘Monte’ is an extremely young player in whom we see great potential.”
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