Leeds United’s Luke Ayling will join Middlesbrough on loan

Luke Ayling is due to join Middlesbrough on Wednesday ahead of a six-month loan move from Leeds United after a seven-year spell at the club which included their return to the Premier League.

The 32-year-old right-back appeared to bid an emotional farewell to the fans at the weekend when he came on as a substitute in the FA Cup tie with Peterborough. He was targeted by Middlesbrough after being made available for a move to get regular football.

He will complete a move to the Riverside and will be part of Michael Carrick’s squad for the rest of the season as they aim to climb towards the Championship play-off places and also reach the Carabao Cup final, although Ayling will be in a cup tie for that competition. Carrick’s side won 1-0 against Chelsea in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday night.

After moving to Elland Road in 2016, he played a key role in their promotion to the top flight for the 2020-21 season under Marcelo Bielsa and was a regular in the three seasons in the Premier League before relegation in May last year.

This season Archie Gray appeared, who played at right back. Ayling started the season in Daniel Farke’s side but his last start came on 4 October in the win against Queens Park Rangers.

“What he’s done for this club and what he’s done for this group is amazing,” Farke said when asked about the fans’ ovation for Ayling against Peterborough.

“I know at the moment, quite often the scorers or the assistants or the younger guys who are in the limelight are more or less in the limelight and singing their names, but I’m a bit old-fashioned. I would sing ‘Luke, Luke, Luke’ for 90 minutes.”

Ayling is out of contract at the end of the season at Leeds so would be a free agent at the end of his loan.

It is understood the Leeds board were willing to offer Ayling a new deal, but Farke made it clear it was not in his plans.

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