Confirmed: Middlesbrough sign Southampton player | OneFootball

19-year-old Abdul Okunola has swapped Southampton for Middlesbrough in his development

Middlesbrough have secured the arrival of promising 19-year-old centre-back Abdul Okunola from Championship rivals Southampton.

As the transfer deadline looms, sides all across the second tier are working tirelessly to add to their squads ahead of a long, tiresome run of fixtures between now and the end of the calendar year.

Kim Hellberg's side took their senior additions into double digits yesterday with the arrival of Rokas Pukstas, and there's still hope of making an 11th addition to the senior squad before the window closes at 11pm. A winger is reportedly at the top of their list.

But their desire to improve their squad doesn't end at senior level, as Boro's under-21s have received a defensive boost towards the end of the window.

Middlesbrough confirm arrival of Southampton's Abdul Okunola

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Middlesbrough kicked off their deadline day announcements with the addition of promising Southampton centre-back Okunola, who will initially link up with the Teesiders' under-21s side.

The 19-year-old made his debut in their 3-1 defeat to AFC Bournemouth in Monday's PL2 clash, coming off the bench shortly after half-time to replace Ezra Tika-Lemba.

It resembles a solid pickup for the Boro academy, with Okunola playing a sizable role in the Saints side, who finished sixth in PL2 last season, starting nine of his 13 appearances and featuring in their play-off defeat against Aston Villa last April.

Having played such a key role in the under-21s aged just 18, the future evidently is very bright, and Boro will ensure the 2007-born star realises that potential at the Riverside.

Abdul Okunola's time at Southampton

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Okunola only spent three years on the south coast, having arrived in 2023 from Chelsea's youth set-up. He penned his first professional deal at Southampton last summer.

His main highlight over the past year was the equaliser he scored in the Premier League International Cup matchup against Spanish giants Real Madrid last October. He started that matchup alongside the likes of Gavin Bazunu, Cameron Bragg and Jay Robinson.

The 19-year-old was also part of the under-18s Southampton squad who made the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals during the 2024/25 campaign, scoring in their third round win over Swansea City, too.

Middlesbrough will hope to have the last laugh over Southampton in Abdul Okunola signing

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Middlesbrough and Southampton have developed a slight rivalry over the last few months, following the spygate incident which saw the Saints expelled from the play-off final after they were found guilty of spying on Boro's training session ahead of their semi-final first leg clash.

Online, Boro fans have been quick to offer slight jabs at Southampton following their capture of a bright young star from their academy.

It may be a few years before we get to see Okunola in senior action at the Riverside. If he progresses as many expect him to, he could prove to be a key player for the Teesiders as and when he's ready to make that step up.