Confirmed: Middlesbrough loan out prolific Nigerian centre-forward to Darlington

With a statement on the club's official website, Middlesbrough have announced that young Nigerian striker Hazeem Bakre has joined non-league club Darlington. 

Bakre has carved out a reputation as a prolific goalscorer right from his days at Huddersfield Town. 

He was Huddersfield Town U19s' top scorer in the 2022-2023 campaign with sixteen goals to his name, before transferring to Middlesbrough following his release by the Terriers in the summer of 2024.

This season, he has tallied six goals in nine appearances in the Premier League 2, and was nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month for October 2024.

Bakre was loaned out to Dagenham & Redbridge on a youth loan in December, making three appearances off the bench in the National League - the fifth tier of English football.

The 19-year-old will now continue his development at Darlington, who are tenth in the National League North with forty-three points accumulated from twenty-eight matches. 

He is in contention to make his home debut for Darlington on Saturday when they take on Marine. 

Hazeem, who has a twin brother Halim, is open to representing Nigeria at international level. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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