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Luke Ayling will not be the only player leaving Leeds United this summer

Losing Sunday’s Championship play-off final was a huge blow to Leeds as it will mean that the Yorkshire club will need to sell several stars this summer. The Whites are believed to owe £190m in player transfers to other clubs, after splashing cash on a number of new stars in the summer of 2022.

Ayling was one of the easier names to sell, but fans of the club will not want to see them part ways with the likes of Archie Gray and Crysencio Summerville. That is now the Whites’ reality as many clubs will have their eye on Elland Road to try and take some of their key men.

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Leeds United hero set to leave the club at the end of the season after agreeing deal with Championship side

Mehdi Gokal — Sat, 18 May 2024 16:15:06 +0000

According to The Telegraph, Luke Ayling will leave Leeds United at the end of this season and join Middlesbrough on a permanent deal.

Ayling spent the last season on loan in the Championship with Michael Carrick’s side, where he impressed by scoring one goal and providing nine assists.

With his contract at Elland Road set to expire this summer, Ayling has decided not to renew, making a return to the Riverside Stadium increasingly likely.

The defender had attracted interest from newly relegated Sheffield United but chose to agree to a permanent deal with Middlesbrough instead.

Luke Ayling is a fan favourite at the Leeds United

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Luke Ayling leaves Leeds United as a club legend

Ayling joined Leeds United in 2016 from Bristol City and quickly established himself as a key player.

Known for his versatility and consistency, Ayling primarily operates as a right-back but has also been deployed in central defence and midfield.

He played a crucial role in Leeds’ promotion to the Premier League during the 2019-2020 season under Marcelo Bielsa.

After eight years at the club, Ayling spent the last season on loan following Leeds’ relegation.

His performances for Middlesbrough have earned him a permanent move, allowing him to continue his career in the Championship.

Ayling’s departure marks the end of an era for Leeds United, where he leaves as a fan favourite and a club legend.

His contributions to the team, both on and off the field, will be remembered fondly by the Leeds faithful as he embarks on a new chapter with Middlesbrough.

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Leeds United star with 268 appearances to leave this summer but rejects Premier League club

Darren Looney — Fri, 17 May 2024 16:18:50 +0000

Leeds United star Luke Ayling will leave Elland Road this summer but the defender will not be making a move to Sheffield United amid interest from the Premier League club.

The 32-year-old is set to put an end to his time at the Yorkshire club as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season. The defender leaves having played 268 games for the Whites across an eight-year stint and was a big part of their return to the Premier League in 2020.

Daniel Farke’s side are close to returning to England’s top flight having reached the Championship play-off final but Ayling will not be with them this time around.

The right-back spent this season on loan with Middlesbrough and it is believed that he will remain with the Championship club for the 2024/25 campaign as they will move to sign him permanently. Michael Carrick’s team will likely be promotion contenders next season and the Boro coach believes the Leeds man can aid their push.

Luke Ayling’s time at Leeds United is set to end.

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Luke Ayling rejects Premier League club for Middlesbrough move

According to The Telegraph, Sheffield United showed interest in Ayling ahead of the summer transfer window as Chris Wilder was keen on signing the defender. However, the 32-year-old has opted to stay on at Middlesbrough.

Had the Premier League side remained in the division they would have had a better chance of luring the Leeds man away from the Riverside but instead the two teams will compete in the Championship during the 2024/25 campaign.

Many Leeds fans will be sad to see Ayling leave the club but they will also be aware that it is for the best.

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Phil Hay confirms 30-year-old will start against Middlesbrough

Darren Looney — Sat, 20 Apr 2024 14:12:48 +0000

Leeds United travel to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough on Monday and Patrick Bamford is expected to start up top for Daniel Farke’s side.

The Yorkshire club go into the game having had a nice nine-day break since the disappointment of losing their unbeaten home record to Blackburn Rovers. Promotion rivals Leicester and Southampton will have played before the Whites kick-off but they know that they have to win their remaining fixtures to return to the Premier League.

For the Blackburn match, Joel Piroe was one of the three changes Farke made as he came in to start up front in place of Patrick Bamford, who has seen his form dip recently.

The striker role has been an area of debate this season at Leeds, with calls growing for Mateo Joseph to be handed his first league start for the Championship side but Farke has continued to resist the temptation to do so.

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Speaking on the Square Ball Podcast, The Athletic journalist Phil Hay believes that 30-year-old Bamford will get the nod on Monday to face his former side Middlesbrough.

“It is sometimes the sort of environment he really likes. I cannot see Farke going with the system he did against Blackburn with Piroe up front, it just didn’t really work and it didn’t bring much out of Piroe,” Hay said.

“On the basis of what we’ve seen from Farke you would assume Bamford comes in and plays that role. I would be tempted to try Joseph but I do get it is a gamble and it is very easy to make suggestions of changes which then don’t get tested.

“For as long as Joseph isn’t starting, it’s easy to say to play him and he will score goals. If you play him and he doesn’t score goals, there are consequences of that. You have to get that decision right.”

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Leeds make move to sign devastating striker ahead of Premier League clubs

Darren Looney — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 21:41:05 +0000

Karamoko Dembele has impressed many with his performances at Blackpool this season and the 21-year-old could be on the move this summer.

The midfielder is on loan with the English club from Stade Brestois as he moved to League One in search of more minutes.

Dembele has starred in an attacking midfield role at Bloomfield Road, managing seven goals and 12 assists in 40 games; with HITC now reporting that his displays have drawn widescale interest ahead of the summer with Championship clubs Leeds United, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Southampton eyeing a move.

The problem for them is that Premier League teams have also taken note of what the 21-year-old is doing; with Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Brentford, Wolves and Nottingham Forest all said to be keeping tabs on Dembele as well.

The midfielder has a contract with Stade Brest until 2026 so the youngster’s future is in the French club’s hands.

The Ligue 1 outfit may want to keep the player following his current loan spell but the good news for Dembele is that he will not be short of options ahead of the new season.

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Manager confirms he might sign Leeds United hero in summer

Jason Pettigrove — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 20:43:27 +0000

The 2023/24 Championship season is shaping up nicely for Leeds United, with Daniel Farke’s side seemingly timing their run to the top of the table just right.

Currently in second place, the all whites are now only three points behind Leicester City, who at one stage of the campaign were a gargantuan 11 points ahead of them.

Whether the German will manage to get his side promoted automatically or through the Play-Offs will only be seen later in the campaign, and a promotion will largely dictate the club’s transfer policy.

Middlesbrough could sign Luke Ayling permanently

One player that could conceivably be considered an Elland Road legend is Luke Ayling, who signed for Championship rivals Middlesbrough on loan earlier in the season.

He’d surely be desperate to pit his wits against the Premier League’s best, but it seems that a more permanent stay on Teeside could be on the cards.

Luke Ayling could join Middlesbrough permanently

“You’re always playing for something and as it stands at the moment that’s obviously what’s next,” Boro manager, Michael Carrick, was quoted as saying by Teeside Live.

“Looking at him, that’s not at the forefront of his mind at all. He’s all in, he’s desperate to do well and win games for us. We’ll see. That will play out how it’s going to play out over the next few months.”

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At 32 years of age, Ayling is getting no younger, and there’s no room for passengers nowadays in the English top-flight, as the likes of last season’s promoted clubs – Luton Town, Sheffield United and Burnley – are all finding out this year.

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Gap between Premier League and Championship needs to remain says former agent

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 14:57:52 +0000

The winners of the Championship Play-Off final, dubbed ‘the world’s richest game,’ are often sent tumbling straight back to the English second-tier after a season in the Premier League.

Even the two teams that go up automatically are beginning to religiously suffer the same fate.

No need to change Premier League status quo says former agent

Take this season’s Premier League bottom three; Luton, who were promoted via the Play-Off final, are third from bottom, and Burnley, who romped the Championship by 10 points from Sheffield United, find themselves second bottom just above the Blades.

Such a scenario is becoming more and more common, but Premier League co-creator, Jon Smith, doesn’t believe there’s any reason to change the status quo to address the imbalance.

“I hate gerrymandering stuff that is not real and the supporters wouldn’t like it either,” he said in his exclusive column for CaughtOffside.

“Clubs need to work more diligently once they’ve been promoted from the Championship into the Premier League.

“Brighton have had a good level of management all the way through their time in the top-flight, and Forest and Wolves have also done well during their time in the top division.

“There is a mindset that says let’s bank the £120m check, let’s spend £60m and if we go down we go down £60m richer than we were and we’ve got the use of parachute payments.

“I think that the parachute payment needs to be looked at, but the Premier League is the most successful sporting league in the world so why change it?”

It does seem that far too many clubs coming up are focused on the uplift in finances and subsequent parachute payments, rather than being more diligent with regards to their business practices.

“There’s enough money if you’re clever enough and in a changing footballing market where you don’t have to spend a fortune,” Smith continued.

“So just maybe being cleverer is much more important than fixing something which is not broken.”

Though most of the big European football clubs now appear to be against a Super League, it might have made sense from the point of view of taking those handful of teams that always seem to win their respective leagues away, and giving others – including promoted teams – something to genuinely aim at.

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West Ham old boy could hold key to switch for outstanding 19-year-old centre-back

Jason Pettigrove — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 10:20:56 +0000

Whether West Ham don’t renew David Moyes’ contract or not, the East Londoners clearly need to beef up their current defensive set-up.

As was seen with Kurt Zouma losing his marker for the only goal against Freiburg in their Europa League clash on Thursday, there needs to be competition for places.

One player that’s making a name for himself in the Championship is Middlesbrough’s highly-rated 19-year-old, Rav van den Berg.

Boro are managed by West Ham old boy, Michael Carrick, and given that the North East giants are 10 points outside of the play-off places at present, if they’re unable to at least give themselves a shot at promotion to the Premier League, Boro could find it difficult to keep hold of their best players.

West Ham looking at Rav van den Berg

““Everton, West Ham, Brighton and Crystal Palace are amongst the Premier League clubs interested in making a move for Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg,” ex-professional, Carlton Palmer, told Football League World.

“[…] It has been disappointing for Middlesbrough this season because they wanted to push for the Premier League, but they were not able to bring in the players in the summer or in January to help them push on. So, it has been a disappointing season for Middlesbrough.

“But he has been one of the bright sparks in the team. He has caught the eye of a lot of Premier League teams. Middlesbrough will not want to lose him at the end of the season given the situation. If they do not get to the Premier League, will they be able to keep him?

West Ham are chasing Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg

Ultimately, if van den Berg is to move on, the club are likely to accept the offer from the highest bidder.

However, Carrick’s ties to the East London outfit could give them the edge in any negotiations if he accepts that the player will leave.

From West Ham’s own point of view, their squad has been the strongest it has for some while, but the depth is missing.

If they truly want to go to the next level under Moyes or whomever, then hoovering up young talent such as van den Berg is a must.

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West Ham already lining up Kalvin Phillips replacement with 21-year-old

Darren Looney — Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:37:40 +0000

West Ham are lining up alternatives to Kalvin Phillips as the Hammers may not sign the Man City star on a permanent deal following his poor start to life at the London Stadium.

The England international has made a catalogue of errors in what has been a miserable run of form for David Moyes’ team and according to Alan Nixon, the East London club are looking at players to replace Phillips once his loan deal expires.

Writing on his Patreon page, Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney is liked by West Ham and could be an option for the summer. The Hammers had scouts watching the 21-year-old at the weekend and this will unlikely be the last time they will be in attendance.

Nottingham Forest are also interested in the Middlesbrough star but West Ham believe they can challenge their Premier League rivals for the midfielder’s signature.

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Middlesborough reject third Aston Villa offer for Morgan Rogers

Andrew Walker — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:49:48 +0000

Championship side Middlesborough have reportedly knocked Aston Villa back for a third time.

The Villians have been in ongoing talks to sign attacker Morgan Rogers, who is enjoying an excellent individual campaign, with his latest goal coming in the FA Cup against Chelsea.

Although Boro went on to lose the replayed tie 6-1 (6-2 on agg), Rogers, 21, was a stand-out performer.

Of course, with such eye-catching performances naturally comes unwanted attention, and now Michael Carrick’s side faces the possibility of losing the talented 21-year-old, who is being heavily pursued by Unai Emery.

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