Middlesbrough urged to avoid 'cheap' Sunderland transfer | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have been urged to avoid re-signing Sunderland midfielder Alan Browne in this summer transfer window.

Middlesbrough will be spending next season in the Championship once again after a controversial and chaotic end to the 2025/26 season and their play-off campaign.

Having replaced Rob Edwards in the first-half of the campaign as he left to go to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough appointed former Hammarby boss Kim Hellberg.

Hellberg did an excellent job to lead The Smoggies to the top of the Championship table as late as mid-February but he couldn’t avoid a slump in form that saw ‘Boro slump to fifth in the table.

They eventually lost their play-off semi-final to Southampton after extra-time in the second-leg at St Mary’s but found themselves reinstated into the final as a result of ‘spygate’.

Once again, though, ‘Boro suffered another gut-wrenching defeat with a last-gasp Oli McBurnie winner sending Hull City up to the Premier League at the expense of the Teessiders.

As they prepare for next season, ‘Boro are likely to be busy in this summer transfer window but they have been urged to avoid making a move to re-sign Alan Browne.

Middlesbrough urged to avoid re-signing Alan Browne

Last summer, following Sunderland’s ascent to the top-flight via the play-offs, Middlesbrough poached Alan Browne on a season-long loan deal from The Black Cats.

The former Preston North End midfielder proved to be a good addition to the ‘Boro squad and made his contribution to their promotion challenge but FLW’s Middlesbrough Fan Pundit Liam Day believes the club should avoid going back in for the Republic of Ireland international.

Liam says: “I think as a football club, you need to progress and I don’t think that Alan Browne is a progressive signing.

“He was OK for us and some might see that as harsh but I wasn’t ever that impressed, expect for one or two games.

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“While he is a good veteran, I don’t think he is of the quality that we need and towards the end of the season, he really did fall off in terms of consistency and quality of performances.

“Personally, I don’t really want him to come back to ‘Boro. I know it would be a cheap deal but you can get wages and money spent elsewhere.

“Personally, I think there are better options out there, even at a similar age range with a bit more quality and I think you really need to progress and getting rid of the likes of Alex Gilbert, Sammy Silvera and Alan Browne will help you do that because you need to replace them with more quality.”

Busy summer ahead for Middlesbrough

With Kim Hellberg now set for his first full season in charge of Middlesbrough, the impressive coach on being able to put his own imprint on the squad and the personnel at his disposal.

Having done an impressive job working with players who didn’t perhaps fit his system nor his style but coaching them to perform to do so, Hellberg may well be given license to revamp things.

Middlesbrough’s summer has started off with six players being released from their squad with experienced goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin leaving alongside Darragh Lenihan, Dan Barlaser, Alex Gilbert and Sam Silvera, as well as Marcus Forss, who spent last season on loan at League One play-off winners Bolton Wanderers.

Jeremy Sarmiento, who arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion on loan in the January transfer window, has now signed a permanent deal at the Riverside and a fair bit more change is to be expected.

Browne is under contract at Sunderland until the summer of 2027 but as the Wearsiders head into the UEFA Europa League next season, he is expected to depart on a permanent basis this summer.

Despite making a contribution and his excellent versatility, capable of playing in a deeper midfield role as well as out-wide on occasion and in a so-called ‘number ten’ spot, it may well be that ‘Boro seek to be more ambitious than his return this summer, especially given that Browne did only start 26 league games before starting the final against Hull at Wembley.