Middlesbrough 2026-27 Championship Preview
Middlesbrough came agonisingly close to a Premier League return last season, but unfortunately missed out through the narrowest of margins. Boro finished level on points with Southampton in 5th, whom they clashed with over two legs in the play-off semi-finals. They were originally dumped out at this stage having lost 2-1 on aggregate over the two legs, but were reinstated with a pass to the final following the ramifications of Saints’ “spygate” scandal.
Defeat came at the final hurdle in said play-off final, where Hull City rightly claimed the final promotion place thanks to an Oli McBurnie injury-time winner at Wembley.
Promotion by any means necessary will be the aim once again during the 2026-27 campaign under Kim Hellberg, who has shown great promise during his short stint in the North East so far. They’ve been active in the transfer window, recruiting five new players for the upcoming campaign and seeing 10 exit. Four of those signings are attacking additions, with centre forward Kyle Joseph joining from Premier League club Hull City, alongside Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento who has dropped down to the second tier permanently for roughly £3.5m.
There are a few question marks in regards to new defensive options, with only one new face through the door in this department in the form of Saint Etienne’s screening midfielder Abdoulaye Kante. Whether Boro can get over the line this time remains to be see, however, they’re the fourth-favourites to win the league according to the bookies, so that should give you some insight as to how they might fare.
Middlesbrough’s set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Tommy Conway
- Free-kicks: Morgan Whittaker
- Corners: Riley McGree
Middlesbrough FAQs
Where did Middlesbrough finish in the 2025-26 Championship season?
Middlesbrough finished fifth in the Championship in 2025-26 campaign, missing out on promotion through a 1-0 defeat against Hull City in the play-off final.
Who is the Middlesbrough manager?
Kim Hellberg is the current Middlesbrough manager, taking the job in November 2025. He is only the club’s second overseas-born manager.
Who is the current Middlesbrough captain?
Middlesbrough don’t currently have a permanent captain for the 2026-27 season. The armband was shared between primary leaders Dael Fry, Hayden Hackney, and Darrigh Lenihan last term, all of whom have departed the club.