A look at how the players who left Middlesbrough this summer have started at their new clubs
Hayden Hackney during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and OSC Lille at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Hayden Hackney during the pre-season friendly match between Everton and OSC Lille at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
While 12 new players arrived at Middlesbrough, it was a big overhaul that saw many players leave too.
That included the sales of Championship Player of the Year Hayden Hackney, and also top scorer Morgan Whittaker.
So how are those that left this summer getting on at their new clubs so far? From those who were sold, to those whose contracts or loans ended, here’s the Boro summer exiteers and their starts at their new clubs.
Hayden Hackney - Everton
Hackney has quickly settled in at Everton and although he’s only started two of the seven games so far this season, the only time he has missed a game was through a minor injury.
He has one assist to date, and that came against Michael Carrick’s Manchester United, as he came off the bench to earn his side a draw.
All in all, it’s been a solid start, with positive reviews coming out of Merseyside on the potential of the Teesside star. He'll now hope to push for more regular starts.
Morgan Whittaker - Colorado Rapids
Whittaker could hardly have wished for a better begninning to life in the MLS, netting twice in his first start for the club.
However, since then, his next two starts have brought no goals and no assists, and both ended in defeat. That included the US Open Cup semi final loss to St Louis City.
Abdoulaye Kante - Al-Ettifaq
The young midfielder made a lucrative move to the Saudi Pro League this summer, following last season’s loan spell back in France’s second tier.
Kante has so far started all three Al-Ettifaq games since his arrival, with five points coming in an unbeaten run. He registered an assist in his last game too.
Kaly Sene - Young Boys
After an unsuccessful year at Boro, Sene returned to Switzerland with Young Boys this summer. He made an excellent start, with a highlight-reel bicycle kick goal on his debut.
He got an assist in that first game too, and has since added one more goal and one more assists in seven appearances so far.
Dael Fry - Birmingham City
It’s been a tough time so far for Teessider Fry at Birmingham, with the defender so far unable to displace Birmingham’s starting centre-back pair.
As such, in the league, he’s been restricted to two substitute appearances lasting just a minute each, and was unused in the recent draw with Boro. His only start came in the cup, with Chris Davies’ side thrashed 6-1 by Brentford.
Sammy Silvera - MK Dons
Silvera joined MK Dons on a free transfer just a week before the start of the new season. As such, he didn’t have a full pre-season and has therefore had to be patient at the League One club so far.
He’s made five appearances, of which only one in the EFL Trophy was a start. He’s yet to get a goal or an assist.
Dan Barlaser - MK Dons
After spending his last contracted year at Boro on loan at Hibernian, Barlaser also joined MK Dons this summer, linking up with his former Rotherham boss Paul Warne.
He made a solid start with three assists in seven starts. But in his last start, he was axed at half-time in a 3-3 draw with Wycombe and has been an unused sub in the two league games since.
He returned to the starting line-up for an EFL Trophy win last week where he provided two assists, though Warne was critical of his ‘lethargic’ first half in the game.
Marcus Forss - Neftchi
After spending last season on loan at Bolton before being released by Boro, he spent some time over the summer training with Bolton.
But ultimately not signing a contract there, Forss instead made a shock move to Uzbekistan top tier side Neftchi.
That move was only recent and Forss has yet to make his debut in the two games played since his arrival.
Seny Dieng - Atromitos
Though not out of contract, Boro and Dieng agreed to a mutual termination 12 months earlier, allowing Dieng to move to the Greek Super League.
It would appear Dieng is second choice right now at Atromitos, where he’s been a sub for all of their league games, while playing two cup games so far. He kept one clean sheet, while they lost the other 1-0.
Alex Gilbert - Leyton Orient
After leaving Boro, Gilbert was late finding a new club this summer. It was just after the transfer window closed that Leyton Orient took advantage of the free-agent market to land the young midfielder.
His first league start last time out could not have gone better, as he scored the goal in a 1-0 win over Stevenage.
Darragh Lenihan - free agent
After three years of injury hell, Lenihan decided to leave Boro at the end of his deal in the hope of prolonging his playing career.
On his day, Lenihan was one of the best defenders in the Championship. But with those injury troubles in mind, he’s been as yet unable to find a new club.
Matt Targett - Hull City
As his Boro loan spell came to an end, so too did his contract at Newcastle United. He subsequently earned a deal at newly-promoted Hull City.
He’s so far played second fiddle to another former Boro loan star in Ryan Giles, however, and has therefore made just one Premier League appearance from the bench. He did start both Carabao Cup games, however, ending in elimination to Sunderland.
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Alan Browne - Sunderland
Speaking of which, that’s where Alan Browne remains, after spending last season on loan at Boro from Wearside.
There was talk of a late return to Preston North End, but it’s suggested that it collapsed over the length of contract on offer to the Irish midfielder.
Now, he finds himself well down the pecking order at Sunderland and not even making the cut for the Europa League squad. Recent talk suggested he might negotiate the termination of his contract, but he’d be unable to play for another club until January now.
Sontje Hansen (loan) - Gaziantep
After failing to convince Hellberg he should be part of the plans this season, Hansen was loaned to the Turkish Super Lig.
So far, he’s played four games for his new club, but only one has been a start. There’s been no goals or assists yet, and he recently declared himself unavailable for international duty with Curacao after a fall-out with Dick Advocaat at the World Cup.
Finley Munroe (loan) - Blackpool
After joining in January, Munroe struggled to displace Targett and it was felt the 21-year-old would benefit more this season from playing regularly.
He made a good start in League One with a goal from the bench on his debut to earn his side a draw.
Five of his nine appearances have been starts (three in the league) but he’s only added one assist since his debut goal and not one of the games he started has ended in victory for Blackpool.
Delano Burgzorg (loan) - Preston North End
Like Hansen, Burgzorg’s loan includes an option to buy at the end, meaning it would really suit Boro if he manages to make a success of his time at Deepdale.
It’s been a tough start for Preston, who sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom before the break. But Burgzorg has managed three assists in nine appearances.