Middlesbrough's stance on Seny Dieng as Sheffield Wednesday target emergency loan deal
Sheffield Wednesday have identified Seny Dieng as a target in their quest to bring in an emergency goalkeeper on loan.
Sheffield Wednesday are trying to sign Middlesbrough goalkeeper Seny Dieng ahead of Sunday’s Steel City derby against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
As reported by The Star, it is understood Wednesday shot-stopper Murphy Cooper, who arrived on loan from QPR to provide cover for the injured Pierce Charles last month, has suffered a muscle injury in training.
Although the full extent of his injury is yet to be confirmed, it is believed he will miss Sunday’s trip to S2 - and there concerns he will potentially miss other fixtures. Wednesday face Norwich City at Carrow Road next Wednesday evening and take on Southampton at Hillsborough a-week-on-Saturday.
Dieng, who is vastly experienced in the Championship, playing more than 150 games in the division, has emerged as a target for the Owls, and there is optimism a deal will be struck with Middlesbrough to bring him to Hillsborough on an initial seven-day emergency loan that would see him available for the clashes with the Blades and the Canaries.
The Senegal international was close to leaving Middlesbrough in the closing stages of the winter transfer window only for a proposed move to Dutch club Feyenoord to break down. The Championship title hopefuls were so confident the deal would go through that they signed former Wednesday shot-stopper Joe Wildsmith to bolster their goalkeeping department, signing him on loan from West Bromwich Albion for the remainder of the season.
Following the end of the transfer window, Boro, just like every other English Football League club, had to submit their 25-man squad for the remainder of the campaign and Dieng was one of three senior players who failed to make the cut, despite them only filling 23 of their 25 available slots.
Dieng left out of Middlesbrough’s 25-man squad
Darragh Lenihan was left out of Boro’s plans because of an injury but Micah Hamilton and Dieng were omitted because they failed to leave the club during the window and do not feature in their current plans, meaning there is little reason for the Teessiders to stand in Dieng’s way of a temporary move to Hillsborough.
Recently, Middlesbrough head coach Kim Hellberg addressed the decision to leave Hamilton and Dieng out of his plans, insisting he would not turn his back on the pair, offering a sense of reassurance.
Asked why Dieng and Hamilton had been omitted from Boro’s 25-man squad, Hellberg, as quoted by Teesside Live, said: “That is not for me to answer. That's for other people to answer, actually. I train those who are here.
“Of course, I can only pick those who can play. But the thinking about that is for someone else to answer, actually. From my point of view, I train everyone that is here and I try to help them as much as I can.
“And there's other people who are responsible for different things and I respect that. Then of course, we have discussions together but it's not my answer to give.
“But I will help them as I do everyone else to try and improve them.”
Dieng, 31, joined Middlesbrough from QPR in July 2023 for a reported fee of £2million. He has made 52 appearances for the Riverside outfit, but has not made a competitive appearance for them since December 2024.
He was sidelined for a lengthy period of time due to an Achilles injury, meaning he missed the whole of the second half of last season. Wednesday’s Championship counterparts, Hull City, attempted to sign him on loan last month ahead of Feyenoord registering their interest.