Middlesbrough FC and Coventry City in transfer 'chase' for FC Cincinnati's £13m sensation Kevin Denkey
Championship high-fliers Middlesbrough and Coventry City are chasing FC Cincinnati star Kevin Denkey, according to a report.
The 25-year-old is among the most revered marksmen in Major League Soccer and has registered 20 goals in 39 appearances for Cincinnati.
He made the move to America from Cercle Brugge for a fee believed to be in the region of £13m last year and has gone from strength to strength.
However, success is often a double-edged sword for clubs and Cincinnati are seemingly at risk of losing the Togo international.
Middlesbrough linked with marksman
According to reporter Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, Middlesbrough and Coventry are hunting the forward.
Both clubs are in contention for promotion to the Premier League and will need to invest significantly in their squads if they reach their goals.
It is believed a fee similiar to the one paid by Cincinnati would be required to secure Denkey’s services ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Bumps in the road for Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough have been flying high in the Championship under Kim Hellberg, although have recently hit some bumps in the road.
After being beaten by Coventry last week, Middlesbrough were held to a goalless draw by Oxford United at the weekend.
Post-match, Hellberg encouraged context to be taken into account as he assessed his side’s shortcomings.
He said: “Everyone needs a lift. The performance was good enough to win, we always want to win so it is frustrating when we don’t.
“But we have to remember this group has taken 19 points from the last 24 and we showed again today we are a good team. There is still a lot of positive energy in the group.
“To not score from all those chances I am a bit frustrated, but the lads did everything they could, the stadium did everything it could. At the end of the day we should have scored a goal, they could have scored in the first half.
“Oxford defended a lot and played to their strengths, tried to take points from us and credit to the opposition for that. Having those chances, 25 or 26 of them, the frustration was more for us than anything else.
“The first half was not as good. The second half was as good as it could be against a low block to create those chances. You just have to score.”