Kim Hellberg relishing Boro Championship promotion battle against ‘ridiculous’ West Ham & Wolves after draining Spygate

KIM HELLBERG is ready to rock and roll again with Middlesbrough in the Championship. The Swede, 38, looked drained after debut campaign on Teesside finished by missing out on automatic promotion, the whole Spygate drama and then a play-off final defeat to Hull. Kim Hellberg looked mentally drained after the dramatic end to Boro’s season last term Credit: Getty The Swede is ready to do it all again now and try go one better this term Credit: PA But Boro have been one of the biggest winners so far in the summer transfer window. They flogged homegrown star Hayden Hackney to Everton for £16.5m and pocketed £20m due to a sell-on clause when Chelsea bought Morgan Rogers for £117m from Aston Villa. Hellberg, whose side kick off the campaign at home to promoted Lincoln tomorrow, has transformed his squad with the cash. Forwards Will Lankshear and Kyle Joseph, goalie Radek Vitek plus USA internationals Sebastian Berhalter and Max Arfsten have all come in. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! Even though relegated West Ham and Wolves are the favourites for the top two, Hellberg bullishly claims his side will be fighting it out with them at the top. He said: “If I’m going to say an honest thing, we’re 100 per cent competing for it. That is the feeling I have. We are around those teams that are below those you mentioned. “Look at West Ham, it’s in many ways ridiculous the quality. Wolves, add on to that. It’s ridiculous to say something else other than they are the massive favorites. “Then you’re looking at Burnley who won the league two years in a row when they’ve been here, coming down from the Prem, which means you have them. “But we are really strong and we are one of those to have the possibility to challenge for it and, of course, fighting in the top eight. And if that top eight is that you’re in for being second or first, we will see. “We are here to compete for it, and everyone feels like we have a possibility to do it. It’s impossible to not look at West Ham and Wolves and say they must be the favorites when the season starts.” Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Hellberg, who wants to add at least another centre-half before the window shuts with a £7m move for Tottenham’s Ashley Phillips currently on hold, added: “I’m so excited by the squad we have because there are a lot of talented players that want to work so hard and develop every day, which means that we need to get better through the season to be able to compete at the highest level of those teams. “But that’s possible. So, I’m looking at us as a contender, as a challenger. “We did a very good transfer window. Again, it’s sometimes difficult to put a grade on it when there’s still 20 days left? So, we will see at the end of it. But for the moment I’m very happy with how many people have worked with it, the players and profiles of the players that come here. “There’s still some places to find some new players. And after September 1 I can give you a better grade of that. I’m very happy with it for the moment and it feels like we’re at a good place.” Big money buy Will Lankshear is already off the mark with a debut goal in the cup versus Wrexham Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Boro are heavy favourites to begin with an opening day victory. Though Hellberg has warned his big-money squad not to take Lincoln, led by joint-managers Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw following Michael Skubala’s departure to Bristol City, lightly. He added: “You’re looking at a team that hasn’t lost a competitive game since November, so, almost a year without losing. They lost some friendlies, but then they beat Derby away in the cup. “This is a very solid team, a good, strong team that knows what to do, and it will be a challenge as every game is in the Championship. “There’s no easy wins, there’s no games you know you’re going to win. It’s just open games all the time, and we need to be good enough to win it.” Comment now