[themaclad]

Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg has signed a five-year deal with German club Cologne.

Van den Berg leaves the Riverside for a fee rising to £11.2m (€13 million), having played 66 games in two seasons after joining from Dutch club PEC Zwolle.

The 21-year-old Dutchman won Boro's player of the year award in the 2023-24 season and played in the Under-21 European Championships this summer.

But Van den Berg has not featured in either of the club's two games so far this season under new head coach Rob Edwards.

He now swaps the Championship for the Bundesliga with the newly promoted club.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have signed French defender Adilson Malanda from Major League Soccer side Charlotte FC for an undisclosed fee.

Malanda has agreed a five-and-a-half-year deal with Boro but he has been loaned back to the American club until the end of the MLS season in November.

The 23-year is Boro's sixth signing of the transfer window and second of the week, after the arrival on loan of Manchester City youngster Sverre Nypan on Tuesday.

Malanda is also the third defender to join the club over the summer, after Alfie Jones' switch from Hull City and Callum Brittain moving from Blackburn Rovers.

Under new head coach Rob Edwards, the Teessiders have won both of their opening league games for the first time since 1994.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have signed Newcastle United wing-back Matt Targett on a season-long loan deal.

The Teessiders have strengthened an area of their squad which was left short by the hamstring injury to Alex Bangura, expected to keep the Sierra Leone international out of action until after the international break.

Targett moved to St James' Park for £15m in 2022 from Aston Villa but played just 20 minutes of Premier League football last season, and featured in five matches across all competitions.

The 29-year-old does have a wealth of experience having also featured for Southampton in the top flight.

He has spent 14 of his 15 senior seasons in the Premier League, the exception being a loan move to Fulham, then in the Championship, in 2017-18.

Targett is also a former England under-21 international, helping the team to victory in the Toulon Tournament in 2016.

Targett becomes Boro's seventh signing of the summer transfer window, adding to the arrivals of Alfie Jones, Callum Brittain, Abdoulaye Kante, Sontje Hansen, Sverre Nypan and Adilson Malanda.

[themaclad]

Middlesbrough have signed Slovakia international forward David Strelec and former Scotland goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin, and have completed a loan move for Sunderland midfielder Alan Browne.

Strelec, who joins on a five-year deal from Slovan Bratislava for an undisclosed fee, has played 30 times for his country, scoring seven goals.

He made 166 appearances in all competitions for his previous club, scoring on 62 occasions, including four times in six games this season.

Strelec also featured in the Uefa Champions League league phase last season, notably finding the net in a defeat at Atletico Madrid.

"I'm delighted to be here," he told the club website., external

"There was a lot of speculation over the last nine months and I wanted to come here. I'm very happy that I'm here now and I can finally play for Boro.

"I've heard that the fans are amazing and I can't wait to play in front of them."

Boro have made a perfect start to the Championship season, with four wins from four games, and Strelec boosts their attacking options after Marcus Forss was allowed to leave on loan.

Jon McLaughlin
Image source,Getty Images
Image caption,
Jon McLaughlin made one first-team appearance during his season with Swansea

Meanwhile, McLaughlin, 37, has moved to the Riverside as back-up to first-team goalkeepers Sol Brynn and Seny Dieng.

He replaces Australia international keeper Tom Glover who has been released after making 29 appearances in two seasons since signing from Melbourne City in 2023.

McLaughin, who made his professional debut for Bradford City in 2009, was released by Swansea in the summer after four seasons with Rangers.

After leaving Bradford, the Scot had spells with Burton Albion and Hearts before linking up with Sunderland in 2018, where he made almost 100 appearances.

And 30-year-old Browne became Boro's 11th signing of the summer, providing competition in central midfield after Law McCabe's loan move to Plymouth Argyle.

The Irish international made 23 appearances for Sunderland last term during their promotion-winning campaign after joining from Preston North End, where he played more than 400 times in 10 years at Deepdale.