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Middlesbrough duo make their returns with uncertain futures after recent transfer claims
Дата публикации: 15-07-2026 05:00:00
Middlesbrough had two new faces as they returned to training at Rockliffe after Portugal trip
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Middlesbrough had two new faces as they returned to training at Rockliffe after Portugal trip
Sontje Hansen in Middlesbrough training(Image: Middlesbrough FC)
Sontje Hansen and Abdoulaye Kante made their returns to Middlesbrough training on Tuesday, after extended breaks this summer.
Boro were back in training at Rockliffe on Tuesday morning after flying back from their week-long training camp in Portugal on Sunday.
They wrapped that trip up with a 2-2 draw with Portuguese side SC Farense in a behind-closed-doors friendly, with David Strelec starting the summer well with two goals.
Now Boro’s group is expanded ahead of Saturday’s trip to Celtic by the returns of Hansen and Kante, as both now look to force their way into Kim Hellberg’s thinking ahead of the new season.
Second summer signing Kyle Joseph also met his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday, having joined the club from Hull City late last week. He didn’t make the trip out to Portugal for the final couple of days, though, and is still rehabbing the ankle injury which required surgery in last term’s play-offs.
Hansen’s extended break came after he represented Curacao at the World Cup. He managed only 45 minutes of action, however, as his side exited after the group stage.
Alfie Jones didn’t play a single minute, but was part of Canada side that made it to the last 16 of the competition. He is therefore getting some extra time off before making his return.
Kante, meanwhile, is a late return after his loan spell at Saint Etienne in the second half of last season. He suffered play-off heartbreak in France’s Ligue 2, with their competition going on beyond the final Championship games.
Both return to try and convince Hellberg they can be part of his plans in the upcoming season, with the pair both struggling in their first season to make the impression they would have hoped for.
But with Boro still waiting for reinforcements in the transfer market, Hellberg has already opened the door for those currently at the club to use the opportunity they’ll therefore get to prove their worth.
The Boro boss said in Portugal: "Of course as a coach, I know this won't happen, but you'd love six or seven new players here straight away. But that rarely happens.
"And sometimes they come a little bit later and that's opened up opportunities for other players who might not have had that opportunity.”
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Both will have work to do though. For Hansen, Boro have already made two new additions to attacking reinforcements with the arrivals of Myles Peart-Harris and Joseph.
He struggled last term to convince Hellberg he could be trusted for a more regular role and admitted after the play-off final that he needed game-time. That said, he also hinted he wanted to work hard this summer to earn that at Boro, as opposed to suggesting he would be looking for a move away.
Kante, meanwhile, had a purchase option for Saint Etienne built into the loan agreement that saw him return to France in January.
Failure to win promotion was expected to end hopes of a return for the 21-year-old midfielder, though reports in France suggested that Saint Etienne could still try and negotiate a new deal with Boro.
But taking to Instagram, Kante appeared to confirm that a return to Stade Geoffroy-Guichard was not on the cards this summer.
He wrote: “I wanted to humbly thank the ‘Green’ faithful for these past six months. We failed in our mission, and the outcome was frustrating for the entire squad and the whole club. Despite the headwinds, I always felt a great deal of passion and support.
“I won’t be with you for the coming season. But I feel that once you’ve worn the green jersey - even briefly, and even if it wasn’t during the best of times - you become part of the big Green family.
“To all the teammates I’ve known, the former and current staff, everyone working at the club, and the supporters: I wish you all the best. Next time, you’ll get it right.”
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