[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have signed Clermont left-back Neto Borges for an undisclosed fee on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old made 28 appearances in Ligue 1 last season as Clermont finished bottom of the French top tier.

The Brazilian is the sixth player to join Boro this summer.

“He’s got good experience, he’s a good character, and he’s a very good addition to our squad," boss Michael Carrick told the club website.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Sol Brynn has agreed a new four-year contract at the Riverside.

Brynn, 23, has been with the Teessiders since the age of nine, but only made his senior Boro debut in August in an EFL Cup tie against Leeds United.

He has had loan spells with Queen of the South in Scotland, Swindon Town and Leyton Orient, where he had 13 clean sheets in 45 games last season.

Brynn, whose previous deal was due to expire in 2026, is currently second choice under Michael Carrick behind number one Seny Dieng who has started all of Boro's nine Championship fixtures.

[themaclad]

Ryan Giles has returned to Middlesbrough for a second spell on loan from fellow Championship side Hull City.

Left-back Giles, 24, played for Boro in 2022-23, where he claimed 12 assists in 48 appearances as they reached the play-offs.

He left Wolves to move to Premier League newcomers Luton Town but only played 14 times before he headed up to Hull, firstly on loan before that became permanent last summer.

However, he is now linking up again with Boro head coach Michael Carrick for the rest of this season.

Middlesbrough sit fifth in the table, ahead of their trip to Preston North End on Saturday.

[themaclad]

Plymouth Argyle forward Morgan Whittaker has completed a £5m transfer to Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

BBC Radio Tees reported on Friday, external that the 24-year-old was having a medical before a permanent move to Riverside Stadium.

Although the transfer fee is officially undisclosed, it is understood that Plymouth accepted a bid of £5m, with £2.5m worth of add-ons.

"There was a lot of interest in him, but it says a lot that he wanted to come here and be a part of things," said Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick., external

Whittaker was a then-club record signing when he joined Argyle from Swansea City for £1m in 2023 after a successful loan spell.

He made the Championship Team of the Season last year after scoring 20 goals in 50 games.

But he has found the net just four times this season as Argyle have struggled at the bottom of the Championship.


Whittaker did not play in the Pilgrims' 5-0 loss to Burnley on Wednesday. Head coach Miron Muslic said Whittaker "didn't show up in time" for the match, despite knowing he was in the starting line-up, and he ended up watching the game from the stands.

Both Middlesbrough and Burnley had been in talks with the forward with Burnley having a bid of £5m plus add-ons rejected by Argyle earlier this week.

The move sees Whittaker link up once again with midfielder Finn Azaz. The pair had a fine partnership in the first half of last season before Azaz joined Boro after being recalled by Aston Villa.

They were both part of an impressive Plymouth side under Steven Schumacher but, following Schumacher's departure for Stoke City, Whittaker's goalscoring form has dropped off.

His final goal for Plymouth was his winner in the 1-0 victory at Premier League side Brentford in the FA Cup third round earlier this month.

Following Whittaker's no-show on Wednesday, it was always a matter of when, rather than if, the forward would leave Argyle.

While the manner of his departure might not have been the greatest - turning up so late he was dropped from the team - you cannot argue with the impact he has had at the club.

Since he first joined on loan in the summer of 2022 he has scored 34 goals, including an amazing run of 15 goals in 22 appearances between September 2023 and January 2024.

But since then he has found the net just eight times as his goalscoring touch has mirrored Argyle's fall down the table.

The club-record deal is huge for Plymouth, but what the Pilgrims do with that cash will be key.

Do they spend it now to try to keep a club six points from safety and without a win in 11 weeks up, or do they hang on and use it to rebuild in League One next year?

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have brought in goalkeeper Mark Travers on loan from Bournemouth.

Travers, 25, joins the Championship club for the rest of the season, having played five games in the Premier League for the Cherries this term.

The Republic of Ireland international is the fourth player to move to Middlesbrough this month after permanent deals for Morgan Whittaker and George Edmundson and a loan move for Ryan Giles.

Travers played all but one league game in 2021-22 when the Cherries secured promotion out of the Championship.

Boro have suffered injuries to their two first-choices goalkeepers this season in Seny Dieng and Sol Brynn.

Australian Tom Glover has started the last seven games since Brynn got injured on Boxing Day.

Travers will be available to make his Boro debut in the Tees-Wear derby on Monday at home to Sunderland.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath has joined Atlanta United for £22.5m, a record fee received by Boro.

Latte Lath completed the transfer, for what is also the highest fee paid in Major League Soccer (MLS) history, before Monday's transfer deadline.

The Ivory Coast international scored 27 goals in 59 Championship appearances after joining Middlesbrough from Swiss club St Gallen in August 2023.

Latte Lath, 26, will team up with former Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron, who joined the Georgia outfit in an £8m deal.

Middlesbrough have already moved to replace Latte Lath by signing former Manchester City and Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho on loan from Sevilla until the end of the season, following the addition of Morgan Whittaker from Plymouth Argyle.

The Latte Lath deal is believed to bring the club about £17.6m up front and £4.9m in add-ons.

He was not involved in Monday's home defeat by Sunderland which left Boro outside the Championship play-off places on goal difference.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have released full-back Anfernee Dijksteel after six seasons with the club.

The 28-year-old Suriname defender joined from Charlton in August 2019 and made 167 appearances.

Meanwhile, the club have said that discussions will take place with out-of-contract captain Jonny Howson "in due course".

The 36-year-old midfielder has played 341 games for the Teessiders since joining from Norwich in July 2017.

Michael Carrick's side finished 10th in the Championship this season, four points off the play-offs.