Difficult Middlesbrough spell for Lukas Engel ends with MLS switch, initially on loan

Lukas Engel made 53 appearances for Middlesbrough in 18 months

Lukas Engel’s move from Middlesbrough has been announced, as he joins MLS club FC Cincinnati on loan until December.

Engel has joined the MLS, first on loan, with an option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the 2017 season. It brings to an end 18 arduous months for the Dane in Teesside.
Engel’s departure comes after Boro acquired the loan of Ryan Giles from Hull City last month. Though there is no option in the deal to make the move permanent, Giles has stated a desire to do so in the summer, and a deal between the two clubs should be possible if all goes well.
Though Engel traveled to Cincinnati at the end of last month, there has been a delay in publicizing the loan move for undisclosed reasons, with the MLS team yet to officially announce the transaction at this time. Boro, on the other hand, announced the loan on Tuesday morning, after Engel appeared as a trialist in Saturday’s preseason win over the Philadelphia Union.

Engel, who is likely to leave Boro in the summer of 2023, has struggled to make an impact at the Riverside since joining from Silkeborg. He made 53 appearances in total, although he was always overshadowed by Giles, who had such a successful loan stay at the club in 2022–23.

Engel’s entrance after the season’s start did not go well. The 24-year-old was identified as an offensive full-back in Denmark and had Champions League experience on his resume, making him an appealing target for Boro’s recruitment team.

Because of his early troubles in the English game, he was substituted at half-time against Sheffield Wednesday in only his fourth outing. Engel was out while Alex Bangura was injured, and Lewis O’Brien played two games at left-back before injuring himself.

Engel regained his spot in the team as a result, and he demonstrated tremendous character by returning against Cardiff City and providing an assist. His form remained inconsistent for the rest of the season, and any expectation that a full pre-season might aid him this season was quickly dispelled.

He struggled at the start of the season, playing through a pair of injuries while Boro looked for another left-back after Bangura sustained another significant injury. When talks to re-sign Ryan Giles went down, Boro turned to Neto Borges. The Brazilian instantly replaced Engel in the Boro side, with Engel able to recover from injuries. However, when he returned to fitness, he struggled to reclaim his lead over Borges, and Giles’ presence ultimately sealed his fate.