Middlesbrough set to beat Aston Villa and Southampton to seven-figure player deal | OneFootball

Boro look set to tie up a deal for Harley Hunt, beating a couple of Premier League teams in the process.

Championship side Middlesbrough are set to win the race to recruit Swindon Town centre-back Harley Hunt, according to the Daily Mail.

A few players have already made the move to the Riverside this summer, with Delano Burgzorg joining from Mainz 05, Aidan Morris arriving from American outfit Columbus Crew and Luke Ayling sealing a free transfer after the expiration of his contract at Leeds United.

Ayling looks set to be a particularly good signing for Boro, with the full-back a proven player at this level and someone who can contribute in both the attacking and defensive thirds.

In the other direction, Paddy McNair and Liam Roberts have been released, Hayden Coulson and Bryant Bilongo have left permanently and Samuel Silvera has made a loan switch to Portsmouth.

There looks set to be more transfer activity on Teesside before the summer transfer window closes, with Hull Live reporting earlier this morning that they are preparing to launch a bid for former loanee Ryan Giles, who made a real difference under Michael Carrick during the 2022/23 campaign and played a big part in guiding Boro to a top-six finish at the end of that season.

Alex Bangura and Lukas Engel are available as left-back options when both are fully fit, but Giles could be an upgrade in that department if he comes in.

Middlesbrough set to win Harley Hunt race

The Daily Mail believes Boro are going to wrap up a deal to secure Swindon starlet Hunt, who is only 16 at this stage but has done enough to attract Premier League interest.

Aston Villa and Southampton are two other sides that took an interest in the centre-back, who has already made his debut for the Robins and looks set to be lured away from the County Ground.

It's believed that Boro's assistant boss Jonathan Woodgate has played a big part in allowing his team to win the race for Hunt, with the Teesside outfit set to secure a £1.5m deal for the player.

£500,000 of that will be paid up front - and a medical is thought to be on the horizon.

This could turn out to be a bargain deal for Boro, who believe that Hunt could push for a first-team place.

The Saints will be looking to secure a place in the top flight for the long term and in their quest to do this, they will need promising players that they can nurture before easing them into the first team.

Investing in young players now could give them a real chance of enjoying long-lasting success, which could allow them to compete with other teams at the top level.

They have managed to recruit Ronnie Edwards, who is another promising centre-back, but they may have wanted to win the race for Hunt too.

Villa are another side that may have been keen to get a deal over the line.

They have been able to spend a decent amount because of the sales of some of those who came through their youth system, including Cameron Archer, Jaden Philogene and Aaron Ramsay.

And selling Hunt in the future - or keeping him as part of their first team - could have benefitted Unai Emery's side in the future.