Middlesbrough could now turn to players that are entering the final 12 months of their contracts.
Middlesbrough have already been one of the more active Championship sides on the transfer front this summer.
Michael Carrick has signed Luke Ayling on a permanent deal from Leeds United alongside Mainz 05 striker, Delano Burgzorg.
Aidan Morris will also be heading to Teesside once he plays his final game for Columbus Crew this weekend.
While the North East outfit have already signed several players this summer, this should not prevent them from looking for bargain deals for high-quality players in the remainder of the window.
With many clubs demanding extremely high prices in recent years, Boro should now look to those who are out of contract in 2025 to help their promotion charge.
Teams will likely look to offload these players this summer so they avoid losing them for free in 12 months.
With this in mind, here are five players who Middlesbrough could target for a bargain fee.
Calum Chambers
Middlesbrough fans will already be familiar with what Calum Chambers can offer Michael Carrick’s side after his first spell at the club.
Chambers joined Boro on loan from Arsenal in 2016/17 and played 26 games for the North East outfit.
The centre-back excelled alongside Ben Gibson at the heart of a Boro backline which, up until Aitor Karanka was sacked, boasted the best defence in the division outside of the top four.
Chambers is currently signed to Aston Villa but after making just five Premier League appearances for a total of 152 minutes, the Midlands outfit may be willing to offload him for cheap this summer.
Ilias Chair
Ilias Chair could provide Middlesbrough with some much-needed attacking depth across their frontline.
Chair is a natural number 10 but spent the majority of 2023/24 being deployed as a left-winger by QPR.
The 26-year-old scored seven and assisted eight in 44 league outings for The Hoops – more than any Boro winger managed in the Championship last term.
Given his quality, QPR may want to tie him down to a fresh deal, but after the London club finished 18th in England’s second tier, the player could be looking to take a step up in his career.
Kenny Tete
Kenny Tete joined current side Fulham from Olympique Lyon in 2020 and has since made 99 appearances for The Cottagers.
However, after starting in Fulham’s first four Premier League games of 2023/24, he has fallen down the pecking order at Craven Cottage, completing 90 minutes in the league on just two occasions.
Right-back is not a priority for Middlesbrough this summer, but with Luke Ayling and Tommy Smith both 32 years of age, reinforcements will be needed soon, and Tete could be available for a bargain fee.
Craig Dawson
Craig Dawson joined Wolves from West Ham in the 2023 summer transfer window and played 28 games last season.
Dawson is clearly a Premier League-quality player and would no doubt improve Boro’s chances of promotion in the forthcoming campaign.
Before an injury that kept him sidelined from early March until May, Dawson was a regular feature in Gary O’Neil’s team, meaning the Wolves boss may be reluctant to sell.
But with Dawson now 34 and having 12 months left on his contract, those in a position of power at Molineux may decide it is time to cash in on the stopper.
Natt Phillips
Nat Phillips returned to Liverpool last month after spending 2023/24 on loan at Celtic and Cardiff City.
The 27-year-old is likely to be deemed surplus to requirements by the Reds after failing to nail down a starting berth since his debut for the club in October 2020.
But the centre-back impressed in the Championship with Cardiff last season and could be an adequate replacement for Paddy McNair at the Riverside.