Hoppe out, Ayling in: The dream start to Middlesbrough's summer transfer window | OneFootball

Middlesbrough face competition for Leeds United freebie Luke Ayling, whilst forward Matthew Hoppe appears destined for a fresh start elsewhere.

After another rollercoaster of a Championship season has reached its conclusion, Middlesbrough will be looking for a repeat of their previously strong summer transfer window.

Rav van den Berg, Emmanuel Latte Lath and Finn Azaz to name a few have all enjoyed highly impressive debut campaigns on Teesside.

So with Boro boss Michael Carrick looking to harness that feel good factor ahead of what is hoped to be an exciting season ahead, Middlesbrough should get things started with these two transfers.

Thought to be arriving as a makeshift solution to a larger problem at right-back, Ayling has shown that he's far from past his best on Teesside this season.

His staggering eight assists in 19 Championship games for Middlesbrough (per FotMob) played a massive role in Boro's end of season resurgence.

A connection both on and off the pitch developed between himself and striker Latte Lath, who has the 32-year-old to thank for a considerable number of his goals scored.

The form he displayed hasn't gone unnoticed, however, as it's been reported that newly relegated Sheffield United are battling Boro to sign the free agent.

It can be presumed that Middlesbrough should have a headstart in any negotiations with Ayling, as preliminary discussions will likely have taken place in the weeks leading up to the end of the season.

Ayling has yet to make a decision on his future, but Boro fans will be crossing their fingers that the Leeds man doesn't call time on his stay in the North East just yet.

As will Carrick, as his current options heading into next season - Anfernee Dijksteel and Tommy Smith respectively - either appear destined to leave or are still recovering from ACL surgery.

Out: Matthew Hoppe

When Middlesbrough signed USA striker Matthew Hoppe on a four-year contract from RCD Mallorca in the August of 2022, the then 21-year-old arrived with a CV that included top-flight European football.

The youngster had already made his mark on the Bundesliga, having broken into a struggling Schalke side that would eventually be relegated to the second tier of German football.

At just 19, he bagged a Bundesliga hat trick against Hoffenheim, in what was another marker of a player with a potentially very bright future ahead of him.

However, since making the switch to the Riverside Stadium two summers ago, Hoppe has only made six senior appearances in a red and white shirt, with no goals or assists to his name.

Loan moves have become the norm for the now 23-year-old forward, but neither spell with Hibernian or San Jose Earthquakes respectively have been able to extract any more of that once seen potential out of him.

Indeed, just a goal and an assist in nine appearances for Hibernian, whilst two goals in eight for San Jose will likely not be enough to truly catch Carrick's eye.

In truth, he's never looked a Carrick player, and that's true in the sense that it was Chris Wilder who brought him to Teesside, but it's also true in regard to Hoppe's target man style not particularly fitting with the kind of striker he operates with.

Therefore, it would be in the best interests of both parties to call this move a write-off, with a fresh start for both the most suitable outcome this summer.