The 4 players set to follow Hayden Hackney out of Middlesbrough - £3m man features | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at five players that could be set to follow Hayden Hackney out of Middlesbrough this summer

Middlesbrough's summer transfer window is well underway, as Kim Hellberg looks towards the Championship top eight once again next season with some key additions, but must also contend with some potential departures.

Having narrowly missed out on a place in the Premier League last season, slipping away from the top two at the final stretch and subsequently losing in the play-off final, Middlesbrough will be looking to come back with a vengeance next year.

Myles Peart-Harris has joined on a free transfer from Oxford United, following former Brighton and Hove Albion winger Jeremy Sarmiento through the doors at the Riverside to kick off their business this summer.

However, the biggest deal they have been involved in so far, and probably the biggest they will be this summer, is the potential £24 million deal that sees Hayden Hackney join Premier League side Everton.

Hackney, 24, leaves a huge gap in the middle of the park on Teesside, and won't be easily replaced, as FLW takes a look at five other players who could follow the Englishman out of the club over the coming weeks and months.

Seny Dieng

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31-year-old Senegalese shot-stopper Seny Dieng has had a rough time over the past 18 months or so, having barely had a sniff of first-team football ever since his Achilles injury back in December 2024.

The former QPR goalkeeper fell behind both Sol Brynn and Jon McLaughlin in the pecking order at the Riverside since his injury, and aside from a three-game emergency loan with Sheffield Wednesday midway through last season, has barely kicked a ball since his injury over 18 months ago.

Under contract until the summer of 2027, Dieng was close to a move to Hull City in January as a backup option, but the move never materialised, and, unlikely to have forced his way into Hellberg's plans since, looks likely to leave the club this summer.

Abdoulaye Kante

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French midfielder Abdoulaye Kante joined Middlesbrough last summer in a deal worth around £3 million from Troyes, and given the last French midfielder with the same name to have played in England proved not to be half bad, he arrived with a huge degree of excitement.

However, Kante struggled for game time upon his arrival, and subsequently returned to France in January with second-tier promotion-chasing outfit Saint Etienne, with whom he quickly became a regular.

The deal included an option to buy, but Saint Etienne required promotion to stand a chance of realistically signing him this summer, as Kante is due to return to Boro for pre-season.

Whether he will be a part of Hellberg's plans for next season remains to be seen, but given his lack of minutes under the Swede previously, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him leave the club permanently this summer.

Neto Borges

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28-year-old Brazilian left-back Neto Borges has just completed his second year in England after his £1.5 million switch from French side Clermont Foot in the summer of 2024, but has only spent one of those years with Middlesbrough.

Borges joined Bristol City on loan at the beginning of last campaign, and went on to make 40 appearances for the Robins across all competitions, and previously opened the door to a permanent switch to Ashton Gate.

The left-back didn't have the chance to make an impression under Hellberg before his exit, and with Matt Targett unlikely to return, a gap in that position is there to be filled.

Though with his contract expiring next summer, whether Borges will fill that void remains to be seen, as he could well follow Hackney out of the door this summer.

Delano Burgzorg

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Like Borges, Delano Burgzorg joined Bristol City on loan last season, but only in the January window following the arrivals of Leo Castledine and Jeremy Sarmiento.

Burgzorg, 27, still has two years remaining on his current deal at the Riverside, but whether he will reach the end of those terms remains to be seen.

The Surinamese has scored eight and assisted five in 71 appearances for Boro across all competitions prior to joining Bristol City on loan in January, and with Hellberg seemingly not too keen on him, a permanent exit is a real possibility this summer.