Middlesbrough have confirmed the acquisition of Sierra Leone international Kamil Conteh from next season's Championship rivals Watford.

The 19-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a deal with Boro after featuring for the club's under-23 side in April against Nottingham Forest, with the Hornets opting not to renew his contract.

Conteh, who is a midfielder, started his youth career off at Crystal Palace before being dropped by the Eagles in 2017, and it took him a year to get back to a professional club where Watford took a chance on him.

Chances for Conteh in Watford's first-team have been few-and-far between, but after making the bench for a Premier League clash against West Ham in December, the teenager was handed his debut in the FA Cup a month later against Leicester City.

Conteh would then spend time on loan at National League South side Braintree Town, playing 10 times for the Iron, but he has now secured himself a move to a Championship outfit in the form of Boro, although it's likely that he will head straight to the club's under-23's.

The Verdict

This isn't a signing that is going to whet the appetite of Middlesbrough fans too much, but Conteh is a player that could potentially develop into a first-teamer.

The fact he has three international caps for Sierra Leone at his young age is a positive sign, and he has academy pedigree from two Premier League clubs, so there's clearly a talent there.

And Conteh must have impressed enough in his trial game with Boro to be offered a deal, so Chris Wilder and his team are confident that there's something to work with.

Watford's loss could be Boro's gain in a few years time depending on how Conteh develops, and with Wilder giving chances to younger players such as Isaiah Jones and Josh Coburn, that bodes well for the Sierra Leone midfielder going forward.