5 free agents Middlesbrough FC could seal bargain transfers for this summer | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at a handful of out of contract stars who Boro could have their eyes on ahead of a summer swoop.

Middlesbrough Football Club have become highly shrewd operators in the transfer market during the tenures of head coach Michael Carrick, and head of football Kieran Scott.

The pair have helped move Boro towards a recruitment philosophy that revolves around finding bargain buys and smaller fees, and it's largely served them well in recent times.

Whilst they've predominantly focused on permanent and loan deals, they have been known to sample the free agent market every so often, with summer signing Luke Ayling being the most recent example of that.

So, which out of contract stars may be on Middlesbrough's radar heading into the summer? Football League World takes a look at five set to be free agents at the end of the season that the Teessiders could swoop for.

Harry Toffolo - Nottingham Forest

Despite the addition of Ryan Giles in the winter window, the Hull City defender only penned a loan deal at the Riverside Stadium for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

Whilst Boro could explore the potential to bring him to the club on a permanent basis in the summer, that's certainly no guarantee. As such, the future of Middlesbrough's left-back position is fairly unclear at this stage.

However, they could find their answer in the form of Nottingham Forest full-back Harry Toffolo. The 29-year-old is out of contract at the City Ground at the end of the season, and he would provide Boro with a proven quality player to commandeer the left flank of the defence.

Having enjoyed a highly fruitful few years in the second tier with Huddersfield Town between 2020-2022, the attack-minded left-back loves to get forward to provide his team with goals and assists.

Indeed, in his final season in the Championship before his move to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022, Toffolo bagged six goals and seven assists in 42 appearances.

Will Hughes - Crystal Palace

If you were to ask Crystal Palace fans who their most underrated, and perhaps underappreciated player is, it's safe to say that a fair number of them would point to Will Hughes.

The 29-year-old doesn't grab the headlines by contributing goals and assists every week, but he's been a crucial cog in Oliver Glasner's Palace side since his appointment in February 2024, and indeed further beyond that too.

Operating as one half of Glasner's central midfield pairing in his 3-4-2-1 system, the former Watford man plays the role of a relentless disruptor and distributor to a high standard most weeks, with the energetic midfielder rarely dropping below a 7/10 each game.

He's also in possession of an excellent left foot, which is something that Middlesbrough's midfield doesn't have the luxury of. Opening up new passing lanes in the middle of the park would be a huge boost to Boro's tactical abilities.

Out of contract in the summer, Hughes could be a realistic target should they win promotion to the Premier League, and an ambitious but not out of the question one should they be confined to the Championship once again.

Harry Darling - Swansea City

Swansea City centre-back Harry Darling has been in a contract standoff with the club's hierarchy throughout the season, with reports now suggesting those talks will be shelved until the summer.

Out of contract at the end of the season, however, that presents as a fairly risky move for the Swans to take. Luke William's side are enduring a torrid run of form in recent weeks, which is seeing them being dragged ever further into a relegation battle.

Should they be plying their trade in League One next season, 25-year-old Darling would surely not hold much interest in signing a long-term extension at that point. Even if Swansea survive this term, interest arrived from the likes of Sheffield United in January, and the prospect of a move to the top of the Championship and perhaps the Premier League may prove too enticing.

Darling has proven himself to be a quality player at second tier level, and with Boro's defence perhaps needing a rejig in the summer, adding a player of his quality on a free transfer would surely be of interest to the business savvy duo of Scott and Carrick.

Tariq Lamptey - Brighton & Hove Albion

Middlesbrough's right-back position has come under major scrutiny this season, with the long-term future of the position being somewhat unclear.

Luke Ayling has largely been the number one option on the right flank of Boro's defence, but his performances haven't been as strong this term as they were during his initial loan spell at the Riverside in the second half of last season.

Anfernee Dijksteel has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in the squad this season, but injuries and his own contract/transfer situation leaves his long-term future firmly up in the air too.

With Tommy Smith confirming his retirement, Boro will surely be looking towards cementing the future of the right-back spot in the near future, and they could spot a real bargain opportunity to do just that with Brighton's Tariq Lamptey.

Out of contract in the summer, the 24-year-old Ghanaian international has largely been moved into more of a backup role at the Amex so far this term, with the veteran full-back Joel Veltman often being preferred by Seagulls boss Fabian Hürzeler.

The young right-back is blessed with blistering speed, whilst also having a keen eye to get forward and create chances. Given his reduced role for Brighton this season, he may not be handed fresh terms in the summer.

If not, then Boro should absolutely be courting him for his signature.

Tobias Lauritsen - Sparta Rotterdam

Now that Emmanuel Latte Lath is no longer a Middlesbrough player, Boro will surely need to bolster their centre-forward ranks in the summer.

Tommy Conway has proven himself to be a quality marksman at Championship level, but regardless of what division the Teessiders are plying their trade in next season, the Scottish international can't spearhead the attack on his own.

Tobias Lauritsen has quietly been scoring plenty of goals for Eredivisie side Sparta Rotterdam over the last couple of years, bagging 13 goals and five assists in 38 league appearances in 2022/23, before following that up with another 13 goals and nine assists in 32 Dutch top flight outings last term.

Standing at approximately 6'4" tall, the Norwegian striker would provide a real imposing and physical presence to Boro's attack, and being a side that isn't afraid to pump crosses into the box, a player of his stature could thrive on the type of service he'd receive from Middlesbrough's array of creative talent.

Out of contract this summer, the 27-year-old could view a move to English football at this stage of his career as being an ideal opportunity to test himself on these shores, and Boro have shown themselves to be keen and confident buyers in the European markets.