How much Middlesbrough could end up paying Brighton for Jeremy Sarmiento revealed | OneFootball

Middlesbrough will have to pay Brighton in excess of £5m to sign Jeremy Sarmiento, including add-on fees.

Middlesbrough have learned how much they will have to pay Brighton for the services of winger Jeremy Sarmiento, including add-ons.

Boro have already bolstered their chances of winning automatic promotion from the Championship by signing former Chelsea youngster Leo Castledine this month.

The Riverside Stadium club have also acquired full-back Finley Munroe from Aston Villa, as Kim Hellberg continues to add to the squad he inherited from former boss Rob Edwards.

Ahead of Saturday's clash with Preston North End, Middlesbrough sit two points ahead of third-place Ipswich Town, albeit the Tractor Boys have a game in hand on them.

Middlesbrough learn financial details of Jeremy Sarmiento move

Sarmiento has been on loan with Serie A outfit Cremonese this term, but a Championship return is now on the cards for the man who won promotion in previous spells with Burnley and Ipswich, as Boro close in on his signature.

Reporting via X on Friday, transfer expert Ben Jacobs revealed: "Jeremy Sarmiento is waiting for permission to undergo his Middlesbrough medical. Final fee, including add-ons, will be in excess of £5m. Nothing in Wrexham rumours."

It had previously been reported by talkSPORT that Boro had verbally agreed a fee of £3.5m with Brighton for the 23-year-old's services.

Alongside the additions of Castledine, Munroe, and now Sarmiento, Middlesbrough have offloaded young striker Sonny Finch on loan to South Shields, and he scored against Southport in the National League North on Tuesday.

Jeremy Sarmiento deal hands Kim Hellberg a key asset in Championship promotion battle

Championship leaders Coventry City don't play their upcoming fixture with Norwich City until Monday, meaning that Boro can apply serious pressure on Frank Lampard's men with a win over Preston on Saturday.

But while winning the second-tier title is the most glamorous prize on offer for Middlesbrough, they must also be wary of the fact that they could drop behind Ipswich and into third place.

As the automatic promotion race in the Championship heats up, though, Sarmiento's previous exploits in the second tier prove that he could be a deciding factor for Boro's top-two chances.

He is a real livewire who can operate both on the wing and in a central attacking midfield role, while his ability is epitomised by the fact that he has won back-to-back promotions to the Premier League in his previous loan stints with Ipswich and Burnley.

The Ecuador international notched three goals and one assist in 20 Championship appearances for the Tractor Boys back in 2023/24, before going on to score four league goals for the Clarets last season.

Ipswich fans were left thankful for Sarmiento's 97th-minute winner in a 3-2 triumph over Southampton in April 2024, which put the Portman Road club in the driving seat over the Saints in their ultimately successful automatic promotion race.

Ironically, Middlesbrough will now hope that the former West Brom man can perform similar exploits for the North East side, which could help them win promotion to the Premier League at the Tractor Boys' expense.