How much money Middlesbrough will need to pay to appoint Kim Hellberg ahead of Swansea City | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are looking increasingly likely to pip Swansea City to the post and bring in Kim Hellberg as their new head coach.

Middlesbrough look to be closing in on their Rob Edwards replacement, with Hammarby head coach Kim Hellberg reportedly close to agreeing a move to the Riverside, snubbing Swansea City in the process.

It looked likely that the 37-year-old was going to be making a move to the Championship, but to South Wales with Swansea City, rather than Teesside with Middlesbrough.

However, in what has been a big twist in the managerial race, reports from Sweden are claiming that Hellberg has agreed to move to Boro over their divisional rivals.

It's an unconventional move for Middlesbrough, as owner Steve Gibson has never appointed someone whilst they've been in a job elsewhere since he took over the club as chairman in 1994, and he's only ever appointed one other foreign manager as Boro boss too, which was Aitor Karanka in 2013.

Therefore, a compensation fee isn't something he's had to worry about paying before.

However, compared to what he received from Wolves for Rob Edwards, it's a nominal fee.

How much Middlesbrough will have to pay Hammarby for Kim Hellberg amid Swansea City hijack

According to a report from Teesside Live, Swedish outlet fotbollskanalen, the site which states that Hellberg has "verbally agreed" a move to join Middlesbrough, reported two months ago that his contract with Hammarby includes a compensation fee of £203,000-283,000.

For someone with the reputation that the 37-year-old has in management, building up from the Swedish regional divisions to the top flight with Hammarby, the fee is rather small.

And for a Middlesbrough side who have recently received a compensation fee of their own due to Rob Edwards' departure to Wolves, it's definitely a sum worth paying.

Given that Edwards left the Riverside less than six months into a three-year contract, the Premier League's basement side had to pay a mammoth £3 million to buy out his contract at Boro.

Therefore, Steve Gibson will be able to bring in a well-sought-after manager whilst also making a profit over the past few weeks with the managerial switch that could hand Hellberg an instant transfer boost ahead of the January window.

For Swansea, the small compensation fee to pay for Hellberg will almost serve as an added insult to injury, as it shows how simple it could have been to hire the highly-rated Swedish coach.

The Swans will have ideally wanted someone in ahead of Championship action resuming after the November international break this weekend, but they've had their number one option swiped away from under their noses, and it's now back to square one.

Hellberg led Hammarby to consecutive second-placed finishes in the Swedish top flight, recording a 56 per cent winning percentage in the 73 games he's taken charge of.

Those numbers make for great viewing, especially when you consider Hammarby hadn't placed second or higher in the Allsvenskan (Swedish top flight) since 2003, and they'll have Boro fans excited as a deal closes in.

Swansea fans, however, will just have to make do with sitting and watching his Middlesbrough side in Championship action as and when a move is made to truly see whether this ends up being a big missed opportunity to bring in one of the bright young managers in the game.