Kim Hellberg was asked about transfers and Middlesbrough’s activity ahead of Monday’s deadline
16:00, 30 Jan 2026Updated 16:01, 30 Jan 2026
Kim Hellberg, head coach of Middlesbrough(Image: Getty Images)
Kim Hellberg is expecting a hectic end to the January transfer window, but has reiterated Middlesbrough’s stance on not signing a striker for the sake of it.
As reported by Teesside Live earlier in the week, Boro would still like to sign a centre forward ahead of Monday evening’s transfer deadline. But so far, multiple attempts to sign various options have ended in frustration.
Boro continue to keep a close eye on developments in the market. Adam Armstrong would be of interest if a deal with Southampton was viable. But he remains a key player at St Mary’s.
German striker Ransford Konigsdorffer has also been linked this week, but Hamburger SV have been clear that he is not for sale. Boro will keep trying on many options, but, as things stand, are struggling to make any progress.
In terms of Hellberg’s stance, he said: “I’m quite happy with the players we have. I always work like that. Of course, you always want to have as good a team as possible.
“So if the recruitment team finds a good player and we think we can sign him, and think he would be a good addition to the squad, of course we will try to do it.
“But for me now, I’m very happy having David [Strelec] back as a nine. I’ve missed him. He’s been top this week in training. I’m trying to coach the team that are here, and I think that the squad has shown so much quality over the time.
“People thought certain players were going to go to League One and play, and then they played top quality games against Fulham in the cup. So we build something here that I’m very impressed with.
“It’s weird because we have almost the same squad, but I think we have a much better squad today than we had three months ago when I started, because of the development.
“Something that you need to be careful with is just putting players in. You need to be the right player – and, of course if we can find the right player that helps us, I think that’s what we need.
“But we don’t need to just get players here that will not help us because I’m already very happy with the squad I have – don’t bring players in just to bring players. We need players to help us now, or over two years.”
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Interestingly, Hellberg pointed back to his two seasons at Hammarby before joining Boro. There, similar to now at Boro, his side scored a lot of goals, but didn’t have a striker who was running away with the golden boot.
At Boro this season, they have 16 unique goalscorers so far – which is a Championship high. In Hellberg’s 12 games in charge, they are also the highest scorers in the division. So while a striker would potentially help, it’s not necessarily a desperate need.
Hellberg said: “It comes down to how we play, and what players we have. In my first season at Varnamo I had a striker that scored about 75% of the team’s goal in Allsvenskan. He was unbelievable in his movement, finishing, and the other players were more sorted out to give him the opportunity.
“Then, in Hammarby, we didn’t have that kind of player. It was the 10 or midfielder that was the top scorer – similar to Morgan [Whittaker], similar position.
“You also try to build a structure with different players scoring because you can also lose a player. If you put everything down to one nine to score all the goals, he can get injured. It’s always trying to find different solutions with the players you have.
“If you look at the numbers I’m looking at, there’s no team that creates more chances than us over the last 12 games. And then you look at over the season, I think we’re 12th. The change is unbelievable.
“That’s the same players doing that – working hard, developing. They have been unbelievable and that’s why it’s so important not to try to break the flow of them because we also put a lot of trust in them, and they have answered to that.
“It’s also that balance that is key. Is it a good player that can help us? Of course we want him. But also, everyone you bring in changes the dynamic of the group. So it’s that balance of doing the perfect thing for Middlesbrough. That is the key.”
While Hellberg is not desperate to see Boro sign a striker before 7 pm on Monday, he is still anticipating a hectic final few days of the window, with Boro continuing that work to try and sign another player. At least one more player will have to ideally leave too, because of squad numbers.
Away from transfer focus, Hellberg will also lead Boro in their clash with Norwich City on Saturday at the Riverside. The Canaries head to town in great form themselves, having done Boro a favour on Monday by beating Coventry City.
But expecting many meetings between now and Monday evening on transfer activity, Hellberg detailed: “We have discussions. We will have one today again, we have one every day now. It’s a lot of discussion, a lot of players, things can happen.
“That’s why it’s very difficult for me to answer the question because what I say today may change tomorrow. That’s how it is in these last few days. So we will see. Maybe it will be no one more, maybe it will be one, maybe it will be two. I don’t know.
“The final decision will not be mine, because it’s about economics and if it’s possible too. We’re involved all the time and they are very good at involving us. I love our meetings – we are working very well together.
“We try to put everything on the table; giving an honest opinion from everywhere. From an economical perspective, I don’t think so much about that. I think more about the squad and how we’re going to be for one and two years, and how we’re going to fit in for the longer term.
“But someone has to think about a deal from a financial point of view, so it’s a lot of different angles. We talk about it together and I think we sort it in a very good way, and then come to a conclusion. They’re very good meetings.”
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