Jeremy Sarmiento’s wages at Brighton compared to Middlesbrough’s highest earners | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have been linked with a move to sign Jeremy Sarmiento this January

Brighton’s Jeremy Sarmiento has emerged as a transfer target for Middlesbrough this January.

According to The Northern Echo, the Championship side are considering an approach for the forward in a bid to bolster their squad amid a push for automatic promotion alongside the likes of Ipswich Town and league leaders Coventry City.

The Ecuador international is currently on loan with Serie A side Cremonese, where he has struggled for regular game time.

The 23-year-old has featured seven times in the Italian top flight, with each appearance coming as a substitute, and he has yet to register a single goal or assist.

Sarmiento, of course, is no stranger to the Championship, with the talented wide-man having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan at both West Bromwich Albion and Ipswich before joining Burnley on loan in the following season as Scott Parker's side finished as runners-up.

Here, we use estimated figures from Capology to compare his current salary to the top earners in Kim Hellberg’s first team squad…

Jeremy Sarmiento’s Brighton wages as Middlesbrough eye transfer

Sarmiento signed for Brighton in 2021, arriving from Benfica's academy, but he has been unable to cement himself as a regular presence in the side in that time.

The 23-year-old has spent time on loan with the likes of West Brom, Ipswich Town and Burnley prior to going to Cremonese last summer.

He scored four times from 35 appearances for the Clarets last season as they clinched promotion back to the Premier League under Scott Parker.

Sarmiento’s contract with Brighton is not set to expire until the summer of 2027, but a move to Middlesbrough might be what he needs to get his career back on track after a disappointing first half of the campaign.

The winger is currently earning a salary of £20,381 per week from the Seagulls, who have become an established Premier League side.

He is far from a top earner with Brighton, whose best paid player is Ferdi Kadioglu at a cost of £87,500-a-week.

Lewis Dunk and Kaoru Mitoma are both receiving £80,000 per week from the Premier League side, so Sarmiento is clearly quite down the pecking order at the Amex Stadium.

Middlesbrough’s highest earners

It remains to be seen whether Middlesbrough will sign Sarmiento, or if it will be a loan or a permanent move.

But a salary of £20,381 per week could be palatable to the Championship side, particularly as they push for promotion to the top flight.

The best paid permanent member of Hellberg’s side is currently Luke Ayling, with the defender receiving £30,000-a-week from the Teesside outfit.

Alfie Jones and Morgan Whittaker are also earning £25,000 per week, meaning all three are better paid than Sarmiento.

This could show that Middlesbrough have the capacity to sign the winger without doing any damage to their wage structure.

This will make it an enticing option for the Championship side, particularly given his experience in gaining promotion from his time on loan with Burnley last season.

Boro have other high earners such as Delano Burgzorg, Sontje Hansen and Callum Brittain, who are all paid £20,000 per week.

In fact, Middlesbrough have the eighth highest wage bill for their first team squad in the second division, coming in at £388,269 per week.

So this is a move that could work financially for Middlesbrough, provided they can strike an agreement with Brighton and the player before the 2 February deadline.