Chris Wilder has been foiled in his attempts to lure a Leeds United player to Sheffield United on a free transfer with the defender choosing to sign with a different Championship club.
A number of Leeds players are about to see their contracts expire at Elland Road and decisions will have to be made on Liam Cooper, Sam Byram and Jamie Shackleton who all see their deals come to an end.
Robin Koch was in a similar position but he has agreed a permanent move to loan side Frankfurt, while Cody Drameh, Ian Poveda and Luke Ayling see their deals expire in June after being out on loan this term.
Ayling joined Middlesbrough on loan in January after struggling for game time towards the end of the first half of the season. The 32-year-old has played 19 times for Boro since, laying on eight assists.
The Telegraph claim that Sheffield United showed interest with Wilder keen on signing Ayling from Leeds on a free. However, Ayling will be Boro’s first signing of the summer, agreeing a permanent move.
Luke Ayling rejects Chris Wilder to join Middlesbrough on a free
Ayling was always expected to leave Leeds permanently in the summer following his loan move to The Riverside, ending an eight-year stint at Elland Road in which he clocked up 268 games for The Whites.
The defender will remain in the Championship then with Michael Carrick signing a new contract to stay put. Boro will be pushing for a place in the play-offs next season and Ayling will be a huge weapon.
He is just one of a number of permanent departures that are expected at Leeds this summer, with Liam Cooper set to join him judging by the words in his programme notes ahead of Thursday night’s defeat.
Who else is likely to join Ayling and Cooper in leaving on a free
So, Ayling will leave on a free while Cooper is set to join him. Stuart Dallas is retiring, while Ian Poveda is expected to complete a permanent move to Sheffield Wednesday despite Luton and Burnley interest.
Drameh’s future is unclear but like Lew Bate, he will not be signing a new contract at Elland Road. Sam Byram admitted he would love to sign a new contract, while Daniel Farke hinted at a deal for Shackleton.
The likelihood is that all players seeing their deals expire in June will leave Elland Road. Whether that is the right decision remains to be seen but it promises to be a bit of a summer clearout under boss Farke.