Adilson Malanda has logged 1,427 minutes for Middlesbrough, helping anchor a defense that sits second in the EFL Championship.
Foot Mercato reported that the 1.94-meter central defender arrived in northern England following the completion of his Major League Soccer campaign with Charlotte FC. Working under manager Kim Hellberg, the French center-back has quickly established himself as a fixture in the squad.
Middlesbrough remains in direct pursuit of a return to the Premier League, an elite tier the club has not reached since 2017. Last season ended in heartbreak for the Teessiders, who fell 1-0 in extra time to Hull City in the play-off final.
On a raté la montée de peu. C’est quelque chose qui nous a affectés, mais qui nous a donné faim aussi. On a envie de revenir encore plus fort,
Malanda told Foot Mercato, reflecting on the narrow missed promotion.
In Foot Mercato’s reporting, he noted that securing a top-table finish requires absolute consistency across a grueling fixture list rather than sporadic good performances.
Born in Rouen, Malanda began playing football at age three and later developed at the Pôle Espoirs d’Aix-en-Provence. Growth spurts arrived late during his youth, initially presenting physical hurdles against more developed peers before he drew inspiration from his idol, Thiago Silva.
Foot Mercato detailed a turbulent path through French academies. A stint at Bastia’s youth setup ended abruptly in 2016 following crowd incidents and the club’s relegation. Spells at Nîmes—marked by a comical mix-up where another player’s Ligue 1 minutes were briefly credited to his record—yielded no professional contract, driving him to Rodez.
After helping Rodez secure Ligue 2 survival during the 2021-22 campaign, a 20-year-old Malanda made a surprise transatlantic move to Charlotte FC. Over three seasons in North Carolina, he transitioned from a small-town environment to playing in stadiums drawing over 75,000 spectators.
North American soccer offered unique tests, notably going head-to-head with Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi. Foot Mercato noted that Malanda views facing the Argentine icon as an unmatched career benchmark.
C’est de loin le joueur le plus fort que j’ai pu affronter dans ma carrière,
Malanda stated via Foot Mercato, adding that competing against the game’s greatest figures provides ultimate professional enrichment.
While European suitors including PSV Eindhoven, Norwich City, and Saint-Étienne showed interest, Middlesbrough secured his transfer in August 2025 with an agreement allowing him to finish out his American commitments.
Now fully integrated into Championship play, Malanda remains non-committal regarding international representation. Contacted by FECOFOOT regarding Congo-Brazzaville alongside his native France, he told Foot Mercato that choosing a national team is not an immediate priority.
L’objectif, c’est surtout de progresser et de monter en Premier League avec le club,
Malanda told Foot Mercato, outlining his immediate focus on club success.
