Middlesbrough have Rob Edwards replacement in their grasp as £1.2m deal agreed and ‘flight scheduled’
Middlesbrough are already within touching distance of appointing the successor to Rob Edwards after he departed for Wolves.
The former Luton Town boss had the Teesiders flying high in the Championship before he jumped ship to return to the club where he spent four full campaigns during his playing career.
Football Insider exclusively revealed on 9 November that Wolves viewed Edwards as an attractive target to take the reins at Molineux due to his ability to unite a fanbase.
Middlesbrough opted to stand Edwards down from his duties ahead of their victory over Birmingham City on 8 November, with his assistant Adi Viveash left to take charge of the game instead.
Viveash guided the team to a 2-1 win that consolidated their place in the automatic promotion places, and a permanent appointment is now imminent at the Riverside Stadium following the international break.
Kim Hellberg agrees £1.2m deal to take charge of Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough previously explored the likes of Gary O’Neil and Millwall’s Alex Neil as potential candidates to pick up where Edwards left off.
The pair both have extensive experience within English football, with Neil’s Millwall outfit punching above their weight once again in the Championship this term.
However, Boro have now agreed a deal with a much more leftfield candidate, with Swedish boss Kim Hellberg due to fly in imminently to finalise his appointment, according to Fotboll Direkt.
The Hammarby chief has verbally agreed to make the switch to Middlesbrough and is due to fly in on either Friday or Saturday to seal the deal.
After Hellberg’s contract is signed this weekend, the only remaining requirement is for him to secure a work permit, which is expected to delay an appointment until sometime next week.
The 37-year-old’s contract at the Riverside Stadium is understood to see him earn a yearly figure in the region of £846,000 to £1.2million.
Who is Kim Hellberg?
Football Insider exclusively revealed that Hayden Hackney intended to quit Middlesbrough if the prospect of a Premier League move arose at the end of the summer.
| Club | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
| Hammarby | 73 | 41 | 15 | 17 | 56% |
| IFK Varnamo | 65 | 26 | 13 | 26 | 40% |
His future already appears to be a likely priority for Hellberg if he does take charge, with interest still present ahead of January.
The Swedish coach has worked his way through the footballing ranks in his homeland and earned his position at Hammarby after some promising work with perennial top-flight strugglers IFK Varnamo.
Hellberg has led Hammarby to consecutive second-placed finishes in the Allsvenskan, their highest placings since they last won the title way back in 2001.
The young boss has been linked with several jobs in England in recent years, but it is Middlesbrough who now seem destined to secure his services.