Middlesbrough could rival Hull City for the services of a Championship star in the next few weeks.
Both Middlesbrough and Hull will have promotion aspirations in the 2024/25 season, with both narrowly missing out on the play-offs last time around.
Hull boss Liam Rosenior paid with his job for failure to finish in the top six, whilst the Boro hierarchy have continued to place their faith in manager Michael Carrick after he turned around a ropey start to the season.
The two clubs are looking to build squads capable of a promotion push and find themselves battling for the services of a player who has had loan spells at both clubs.
Middlesbrough eyeing up Ryan Giles return
That player is Ryan Giles, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the Tigers.
The left-back was integral for Carrick’s Boro side whilst on loan from Wolves in the 2022/23 season in which they finished third before missing out on promotion via the play-offs.
His 11 league assists that year saw newly-promoted Luton Town break their transfer record to sign the 24-year-old for £5 million from parent club Wolves to bolster their Premier League survival bid.
However, it did not work out for Giles, with Luton deciding to send him on loan to Hull in January and including an obligation to buy believed to be in the region of £4 million.
Now, according to Hull City corresponded for the Hull Daily Mail, Baz Cooper, on ‘X’ Hull are ‘still working on the deal’, but Boro are ‘monitoring what happens’.
Giles could be immediately sold by Hull
Hull’s obligation to buy Giles complicates matters for Boro, but it is not guaranteed that Hull will not either sell the player on immediately or renegotiate with Luton.
The fullback did not start any of the last seven league games of the season under Rosenior and it is unclear whether incoming manager Tim Walter will fancy him.
The main reason, though, is FFP related.
According to Teesside Live: ‘After heavy investment in January, they [Hull] could be in a position where they have to sell or cut the wage bill this summer, with owner Acun Ilicali admitting earlier this week that FFP restraints were impeding them’.
Boro would not consider signing Giles for the £4 million fee Hull are currently obligated to pay.
However, if there is a way to make a deal happen for less, it would not be a surprise to see Carrick jump at the opportunity to reunite with a player who was so integral whilst on loan.