Kim Hellberg must seal emotional £0 Middlesbrough transfer for top-flight winner | OneFootball

Middlesbrough should look to re-sign Christian Burgess this summer on a free transfer following his release from Union Saint-Gilloise

It wasn’t quite to be for Middlesbrough, who will once again be playing their football in the Championship next season, but will be hoping for a strong summer window ahead of going one better next time around.

Indeed, Middlesbrough will be playing in the second tier next campaign once again, having missed out on promotion after defeat to Hull City at Wembley in the play-off final.

Rob Edwards initially took charge of Boro at the beginning of the season, but jumped ship after just a couple of months for Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Swedish coach Kim Hellberg stepping in to replace him.

Under Hellberg, Boro played some of the most attractive football in the division from a neutral standpoint, but couldn’t convert their dominance into three points often enough, as they slipped away from automatic promotion and into the play-offs.

A 2-1 defeat over two legs against Southampton in the semi-finals was overturned following the Saints being found guilty of spying on numerous opponents across the campaign, including Boro, but the Teesside outfit were unable to take advantage of their second chance, as Oli McBurnie’s late strike sent the Tigers to the top flight at Boro’s expense.

Hellberg will be keen to endure a strong summer window to provide his side with the best possible chance of going one better next time around, and should look to reunite with a former defender who has been playing in Europe the past few years and will be available on a free.

Middlesbrough should look to re-sign Christian Burgess this summer, following his release from Union Saint-Gilloise

English defender Christian Burgess has had a truly one-of-a-kind career.

Having spent time in the youth systems of West Ham United and Arsenal, Burgess, now 34, began his professional career with Middlesbrough, but only made one appearance for the Teesside outfit in a 2-0 defeat away at Sheffield Wednesday in May 2013.

Loan spells with Hartlepool United and Peterborough United followed, before his move to Posh became permanent in 2014, where he would spend one season before joining Portsmouth in 2015.

With Pompey, Burgess became a club icon, becoming a key component in their promotion from the fourth tier in 2017, and starring at the South Coast outfit that lifted the EFL Trophy in 2019, as well as his off-field charity work, endearing himself to the Portsmouth faithful.

He would embark on a journey to Belgium in July 2020, turning down a fresh deal at Fratton Park to join then second tier side Union Saint-Gilloise, with whom he would become a regular in their promotion to the top flight in his first year in Brussels.

With 262 appearances across all competitions, including in all three UEFA competitions, one Belgian top-flight title, two Belgian cups, and one Belgian Super Cup later, Burgess' time in Brussels has now come to an end, and he will be available on a free transfer this summer following his contract expiry.

The 34-year-old could well return to the EFL this summer after an extraordinary spell in Belgium, and Middlesbrough should be looking to take advantage.

With Darragh Lenihan due to leave the club this summer, Dael Fry yet to sign fresh terms, and George Edmundson having struggled with injuries, this leaves just Adilson Malanda, Alfie Jones, and natural right-back Luke Ayling as Hellberg's only options heading into next season.

Having begun his professional career at the Riverside, Boro should be looking to swoop for the experienced defender, who would no doubt add a huge degree of quality and know-how to Middlesbrough's back line.

Capable of playing in either a back three or a back four, Burgess would be an excellent option for Hellberg, able to adapt to either system the Swede wants to play, and with his experience of playing against some of the very best attackers on the continent, he would be a real coup for Boro this summer, who should be looking to reunite with their former defender by all accounts.

Kim Hellberg would massively benefit from Christian Burgess' experience at Middlesbrough

Having instilled his style of play on the Boro side, having a full pre-season to get used to Hellberg's demands will be hugely beneficial for the Boro side.

The heartbreak of missing out on promotion will be rife throughout the squad and the fanbase, but they must use that disappointment as a fuel to go one better next time around.

Adding bits of quality across the board will be imperative to Boro's efforts next year, and Burgess' addition would tick a lot of boxes for Hellberg, who could massively benefit from the Englishman's experience in the game.