Middlesbrough make big Seny Dieng decision after transfer failure | OneFootball

The January transfer window was not ideal for Boro goalkeeper Seny Dieng

Goalkeeper Seny Dieng is set to be left out of Middlesbrough’s registered EFL squad for the second half of the season.

That’s according to a report from The Northern Echo, who state that the 31-year-old will not be part of Boro’s 25-man squad that is due to be released next week.

Dieng had two failed transfers during the January transfer window after falling down the pecking order at the Riverside Stadium, and is now set for a prolonged period on the sidelines.

It has been a tricky period for the former Senegal international, who last made a senior appearance for club or country at the end of 2024, dropping to play youth football in the intervening period.

Seny Dieng set to be left out of Middlesbrough squad

The report states that Dieng will not be included in Middlesbrough’s 25-man squad list submitted to the EFL, which are due to be released next week.

Clubs must register any player over the age of 21 whom they want to play in EFL-sanctioned competitions, but are limited to 25 senior players.

Lists are submitted to the league at the start of the season and then again following the January transfer window, to allow clubs to register any new signings.

Dieng was registered in the summer, but failed to make a single matchday squad in the first half of the season, with Sol Brynn and Jon McLaughlin both preferred.

As if the gloveman’s position in the squad wasn’t perilous enough, Boro then moved to sign another back-up option in Joe Wildsmith, on loan from West Bromwich Albion, pushing Dieng even further down Kim Hellberg’s plans.

Seny Dieng will rue missed January opportunity

It is clear that the current situation is not working for either Dieng or Boro, and so January transfers were explored.

The first of those was with fellow Championship side Hull City, but that proposed move hit issues when it came down to agreeing a wage package, according to Hull Live.

There was then another move explored to Dutch side Feyenoord, but that deal, which would have been a loan with a purchase option, collapsed in the final hours of the window.

Boro were, however, said to be aware of that breakdown before agreeing the move for Wildsmith, suggesting there was never any way back into the Boro team for Dieng.

It means that Dieng is now set to be without senior football until the summer, which will be disappointing given he had at least two strong options on the table.

His most recent football came in the Premier League 2 with Middlesbrough’s under-21 side.

Not only does it feel like months of a career wasted for Dieng, but it’s also money down the drain for Boro.

According to Capology, the side are paying Zurich-born goalkeeper £10,000 per week, nowhere near one of their top earners, but still a significant outlay for a player they won’t be able to utilise for the second half of the season.

Moreover, he signed a four-year deal when signing from Queens Park Rangers in 2023, meaning he’ll still have another year to run on that contract when the current campaign ends.

Summer should provide longer to find a solution to the issue, which surely cannot stretch into next season for any party, but that won’t prevent it being a source of frustration for both parties until that point.

At 31, in goalkeeping terms, Dieng still has plenty of years ahead of him and, with 168 Championship appearances to his name, has plenty to offer any future potential employer.