Middlesbrough: 25-year-old on verge of permanent transfer exit to Scottish club | OneFootball

It has been suggested by Saint Mirren boss Stephen Robinson that they are in advanced talks to sign Middlesbrough goalkeeper Zach Hemming permanently.

Middlesbrough are said to be closing in on their first sale of the summer, with St Mirren closing in on a permanent deal for goalkeeper Zach Hemming.

As Football League World exclusively revealed recently, Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick is facing the sack at the Riverside after another season in which they missed out on the top six and the play-off places in the Championship.

Boro managed just one victory in their final six games of the campaign, eventually finishing tenth after a 2-0 loss to Frank Lampard’s Coventry City at the Coventry Building Society Arena on the final day of the campaign.

As they prepare for a summer in which they look set to refresh the managerial dugout as well as the squad, it has been suggested that the Smoggies are close to their first sale of the summer.

Zach Hemming close to departing Middlesbrough permanently for St Mirren

According to St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson, who is the reported subject of interest from Huddersfield Town and Queens Park Rangers, Middlesbrough are in advanced talks to sell Zach Hemming to his current club.

In his pre-match press conference ahead of St Mirren's crucial clash with Hibernian at the Paisley 2021 Stadium on Wednesday evening in the race for European qualification from the Scottish Premiership, Robinson said: “You look at his clean sheets already and you look at the points we’ve gathered since Christmas, and he’s been a big part of that.

"Talks are quite advanced with Middlesbrough.

"We’ve got other plans to get other players into the football club too. The season isn’t finished yet, but usually when that finishes then things start to move a little bit quicker.”

25-year-old Hemming has a contract at the Riverside that expires in the summer of 2026, and there have been no suggestions on how much a fee for the goalkeeper would be, but it will provide more room for whoever the club's manager is this summer to add a new stopper to the ranks.

Zach Hemming needs a fresh start away from Middlesbrough after falling down pecking order

At the age of 25, Bishop Auckland-born Hemming has yet to make a first-team appearance for Middlesbrough since turning professional in the summer of 2018, having joined their academy at the age of 10.

He has spent time on loan with Darlington, Hartlepool United, Blyth Spartans, Kilmarnock and Leyton Orient – as well as a spell with St Mirren last season, too.

His spell with the Buddies, once again under the management of Robinson, was an impressive one and earned him a move to the EFL, with Richie Wellens’ Orient taking him on.

After starting the first 10 games of the season, of which the O’s managed just two victories and Hemming was responsible for several errors leading to goals, he was dropped in mid-October and eventually departed the club in January to move back to Scotland, where he has once again thrived with five clean sheets in 15 appearances in the Premiership.

With Boro losing Mark Travers back to Bournemouth, Hemming's exit will also free up some more wages for a new goalkeeper to arrive this summer, with the former potentially proving to be too expensive to lure back to Teesside permanently.