FLW rounds up the latest transfer news at Middlesbrough Football Club
As the January transfer market gets under way, a number of teams have started to bolster their roster, including Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick.
This occurs during a busy month for the Teesside team, who will resume Championship action the following weekend in an attempt to challenge for play-off spots following two straight games against Premier League teams.
The Reds defeated Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final at Riverside Stadium, following a close 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round.
But before we get back to the transfer window, FLW summarises the most recent developments in this region of the North East regarding Boro’s efforts to strengthen their fight for the top six after dropping out of it.
Luke Ayling, an accomplished defender who will come on loan from Leeds United, is Middlesbrough’s second window acquisition, the club announced after the player had been in the works for about a week.
Before the transfer, the 32-year-old had made 268 appearances at Elland Road; his final game came on Sunday afternoon in the FA Cup against Peterborough United.
Ayling brings a wealth of experience to Carrick’s defensive ranks, and Boro jumped at the chance to sign him to a season-long loan agreement, since his Leeds contract ends in the summer.
Carrick said via Middlesbrough’s official club channels, “He is a player with good experience, he’s a promotion winner, and he’s played at the highest level.”
He’s also a fantastic character, and we think he fits right in with this group. He’s exactly the kind of person the club is searching for.”
Without a doubt, Hayden Hackney has emerged as Middlesbrough’s most promising homegrown player of late, and his performance in Tuesday’s victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s team has only piqued the interest of possible suitors.
The Standard reported hours before kickoff that Tottenham Hotspur had become the latest team to show admiration for the England U21 international, who has been back in the lineup recently after a groyne injury.
Subsequently, on Wednesday, the Daily Mail reported—naming teams including Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, and the previously mentioned North London team—that numerous scouts had been sighted at the Riverside during the match.
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