Middlesbrough poised to complete left-back signing | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are closing in on the signing of Neto Borges from Clermont Foot

Middlesbrough are poised to complete the signing of Clermont Foot full-back Neto Borges, who will represent Michael Carrick's sixth acquisition across the summer transfer window with less than a week to go until the deadline closes.

Borges' imminent switch to Teesside was first called by journalist Marc Mechenoua via his X account, where he claimed that the Brazilian defender is set to sign for Middlesbrough at some stage on Saturday afternoon.

The 27-year-old's move to the Championship may come as a surprise given he has spent the last two years turning out for Clermont Foot in Ligue 1, making no less than 28 league appearances in each of the seasons that followed his arrival from Genk in June 2022.

Borges has previously undertaken spells in his homeland with the likes of Vasco da Gama and Sociedade Boca Junior FC alongside featuring in Sweden, Belgium and Portugal.

Carrick has been proactive in his attempts to bolster the side at his disposal and turn Middlesbrough into genuine promotion contenders for the 2024/25 Championship campaign, having missed out on a play-off spot last season.

Middlesbrough closing in on Clermont Foot's Neto Borges

Although Mechenoua has claimed that Borges will sign for the Championship side today, a separate report from Dominic Shaw of The Northern Echo says the deal is not yet completed.

Shaw's report states the move has not gone through as of yet, but talks are believed to be "progressing well" with Boro "confident" of landing Borges' signature. It adds that the deal will be successfully brokered barring any unprecedented eleventh-hour complications, of which there is no real indication.

At the time of writing, there is no report pertaining to the fee that Middlesbrough will be shelling out to the French side for Borges on a permanent deal, although his contract is set to expire next summer and that is a factor which has likely dictated Clermont Foot's decision to sanction a sale.

Clermont Foot's relegation from the top division of French football coupled with Borges' contractual situation appears to have helped Boro in their pursuit of landing the player, which would have likely been more difficult had they remained in Ligue 1.

Middlesbrough have been in the market for a left-back all summer, with 2022/23 loan starlet Ryan Giles having previously been a target amid a degree of uncertainty upon his situation with Hull City. However, Boro are believed to have moved away from a potential renaissance with Giles a few weeks ago now.

Lukas Engel remains the only senior left-back at Carrick's disposal for the time being following the long-term achilles tendon injury suffered by Alex Bangura last month, and Borges will alleviate some concerns over what has been a problem position for Boro.

Middlesbrough's 2024 summer transfer business

Borges appears set to mark the latest arrival at the Riverside Stadium in what has been a productive summer transfer window for the club, whose business is indicative of ambitions to challenge for top-six contention at the very least.

Middlesbrough's first signing of the summer came through negotiating a permanent stay for right-back Luke Ayling after his impressive half-season loan spell from Leeds last time out, which preceded the arrivals of Delano Burgzorg, Aidan Morris and Micah Hamilton.