Breaking: Middlesbrough are closing in on deal to sign £3.4 million Midfielder

Middlesbrough are reportedly considering a move for IF Elfsborg midfielder Michael Baidoo, but are likely to face competition for the 25-year-old’s signature.

A number of teams “want to buy” Baidoo, including Middlesbrough and Hull, according to claims from the Swedish news source Football Direkt. But Luton Town and European teams like NEC Nijmegen, Ferencvaros, Maccabi Haifa, and Ludogorets are all keeping an eye on the midfield player.

Teams that are interested would also need to cover Elfsborg’s valuation of the young Ghanaian talent. The Swedish team has put up an asking price of between €2-4 million (£1.7 million – £3.4 million), according to Football Direkt.

A number of clubs expressed interest in switching to Baidoo during the winter window. In January, the midfield player reportedly attracted attention from Belgium, the Netherlands, and England. Ahead of the summer transfer window, that interest has apparently increased once more.

At now, Baidoo is halfway through the Swedish Allsvenskan season and has a contract with Elfsborg that runs until 2025, according to Transfermarkt. In his three seasons at the Borås Arena, the Ghanaian has contributed 28 goals to Elfsborg’s tally, including three goals and two assists this season.

In July 2017, Baidoo made his debut in European football as he moved from Vision FC to Danish team Midtjylland. The Ghanaian spent three seasons in Denmark before moving to Jerv in Norway and eventually joined Elfsborg in 2022.

The 25-year-old has also played at various youth levels for the Ghana national team. According to Transfermarkt, he participated in three Black Stars games at the 2019 under-20 Africa Cup of Nations and made one appearance for the under-17s.

Writer’s View

Baidoo could be in demand this summer and Middlesbrough and Hull are likely to face firm competition for the Ghanain’s signature. However, the box-to-box midfielder would suit either side and offer a genuine goalscoring and creative threat from midfield that both sides would value.

Boro would likely sign Baidoo to add a more dynamic element to Michael Carrick’s midfield. The 25-year-old would also be likely to provide competition for the midfield duo of Hayden Hackney and Jonny Howson. For Hull, a signing like Baidoo would fit the club’s recent approach of targetting young, forward-thinking players, such as Abdülkadir Ömür and Jaden Philogene.