Boro were defeated by Hull City at Wembley, following the Spygate controversy, but Kim Hellberg will be looking to right the wrongs from the previous campaign.
In order to do so, Hellberg will need to build a squad capable of winning promotion, and he is tasked with bringing in a replacement for Matt Targett, who was an important player last season, with the left-back making 42 Championship appearances.
Columbus Crew star Max Arfsten, who made one appearance for the USA at the World Cup, has now emerged as a target, and there are encouraging signs that a deal could be possible.
Middlesbrough confident about signing Max Arfsten
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Middlesbrough are now confident they will be able to sign Arfsten in the next few weeks, and talks have been advancing well.
Targett has been attracting interest from West Ham United and Hull City, with the defender now a free agent, meaning the Colombus Crew is now a key target, alongside AEK Athens left-back James Penrice.
Football FanCast's Verdict
Credibility
Targett's impending departure means it will be important to sign a new left-back, and Middlesbrough have been credited with an interest in Arfsten since last year.
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Finances
It is unclear what sort of fee the MLS side could demand for the full-back, but Boro had a bid of £2.25m knocked back last summer, which provides a reference point.
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Insight
The 25-year-old has collected 21 caps for the USMNT, so he is an established international, while he has also been impressing at club level. Despite the report stating Boro are targeting him as a left-back, the USA star is primarily utilised as a left-winger by Columbus Crew, picking up four goals and five assists in 15 MLS matches in the 2026 season.
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Impact
As noted, the California-born ace is being targeted as a direct replacement for Targett, and that could be possible, as he has featured as a left-back on occasion. Moreover, Hellberg used wing-backs last season, which would mean Arfsten playing slightly further forward.
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Max Arfsten could be exciting signing for Boro
The MLS star has earned the opportunity to test himself in England, having emerged as one of Columbus Crew's most important players over the past few years, chipping in with 20 goals and 20 assists in 112 matches.
Journalist Joseph Lowery has also praised his versatility, saying: "I've been thinking about Max Arfsten since Ben put this in the mega-MLS column on Monday. Having an elite, two-footed wingback who can play on either side? Yeah, that's a cheat code in a salary cap league."
The Boro target loves driving at opposition defences too, averaging 2.7 successful dribbles per 90 in the 2026 MLS season, which is 0.9 more than any other member of the Columbus Crew squad.
As such, Arfsten could be a very exciting signing for Middlesbrough from an attacking point of view.
2 weeks ago
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