Middlesbrough receive major update on Kaly Sene transfer progress | OneFootball

Rob Edwards and Boro are on the verge of completing a major deal.

Lausanne striker Kaly Sene is in Paris undergoing a medical in the French capital ahead of a move to Middlesbrough.

Boro have made a perfect start to the Rob Edwards era.

Three wins from three in the Championship so far has the Teessiders sitting joint-top with Stoke City, and with the summer transfer window closing on 1 September, Boro boss Rob Edwards will be hoping to make some final improvements to his squad before then.

Indeed, Middlesbrough have made some eye-catching additions in the form of Adilson Malanda, Sverre Nypan, Sontje Hansen and Callum Brittain to name a few, and it looks as though they are about to make another.

Kaly Sene undergoing Paris medical ahead of Middlesbrough transfer

It's been made abundantly clear throughout the summer that the addition of at least one new centre-forward was a leading transfer priority for Middlesbrough.

Danny Ings, David Strelec and Cheikh Sabaly respectively, have all been linked with moves to the Riverside, and perhaps there is still the possibility of one of those latter two to sign on the dotted line before the window closes.

However, Boro may well now finally be about to get their much-needed new recruit to bolster their relatively thin strike force.

That's because a report from Swiss-based news outlet Blick revealed on Tuesday that Lausanne star Kaly Sene is undergoing a medical in Paris, before completing his transfer to Middlesbrough.

Independent Middlesbrough news platform Boropolis were the first to report Boro's interest in the Senegalese striker last weekend, before a subsequent report from The Northern Echo confirmed that the club were in 'advanced talks' to secure his signature.

However, after a couple of days of relative silence on the progress of said move, it now appears that Boro chiefs have been able to strike an agreement with Lausanne for the 24-year-old, as he now undergoes his final medical tests in the French capital before travelling to Teesside.

A lack of strength in depth when injuries and suspensions strike has been a major issue for Middlesbrough in recent years, and has helped to derail some promising Premier League promotion pushes.

And so with Edwards opting to employ a high-pressing, high-intensity approach, which is in many ways the opposite of Michael Carrick's slower, more measured possession-based system, having quality options in reserve to turn towards when those eventualities occur will be vital to Boro's chances this season.

Therefore, it's understandable as to why Middlesbrough have been so keen to sign a striker this summer, despite the fact that in Tommy Conway, they have a number nine that has proven himself to be a top player at Championship level.

However, peel back the curtain, and you'll find a threadbare supporting cast of strikers, largely made up of makeshift centre-forwards and young, inexperienced players.

Delano Burgzorg and Marcus Forss are examples of the former, with both players more often being deployed from out wide rather than through the middle during their respective time on Teesside so far.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Sonny Finch is a natural centre-forward, but in six competitive first-team appearances for Boro, he's yet to find the back of the net.

So, in Sene, Edwards will be adding an established striker with years of experience at a high level, having been plying his trade in the Swiss top-flight for the vast majority of his career.

A product of Juventus' youth system, Sene has time with Omonia Nicosia, FC Basel, Grasshoppers and current side Lausanne on his CV, and has even played UEFA Conference, Europa and Champions League football too.