Leeds United: Key Daniel Farke call revealed as Luke Ayling joins Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Daniel Farke and Leeds United have decided against offering Luke Ayling a contract extension beyond the end of the 2023/24 season, signifying his fall down the pecking order at Elland Road and becoming a driving factor behind his move to Middlesbrough.

Leeds have freed up Ayling for a loan move this month, with The Athletic revealing on Wednesday morning that the club's long-serving right-back was heading to Teesside to link up with Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough on loan. That move was confirmed by both clubs later in the day.

Ayling has been Leeds' go-to right-back for seven years prior to the 2023/24 campaign, but has featured only 14 times in the Championship this season for the automatic promotion-chasing Whites. The 32-year-old has failed to feature in seven of the last nine matchday squads in the league, stepping off the bench for just 12 minutes of Sunday's 3-0 win v Peterborough United in the FA Cup.

Luke Ayling contract situation

Leeds announced back in February 2023 that they had triggered an extension on Ayling's contract to keep him at Elland Road for the 2023/24 campaign. At that point, Leeds were battling to retain their Premier League status, which they ultimately failed to do.

At this point, Ayling has entered the final six months of his deal at the club again, with The Athletic detailing that "Leeds and Farke are understood to have decided against offering him an extension before Christmas", essentially paving the way for an exit this January.

Ayling's last league appearance for Leeds came on November 3rd when he stepped off the bench in a 1-0 win at Leicester City.

Ayling joins Middlesbrough on loan

With Ayling out of the picture at Leeds and no prospect of a new deal on the table at Elland Road, Middlesbrough have swooped for the 32-year-old's service.

The Athletic reported that a medical was underway on Wednesday morning, with Ayling set to join the Teessiders on loan until the end of the season. That transfer was confirmed on Wednesday evening, with Ayling indicating in his goodbye message to Leeds that it was his career at Elland Road over with his contract expiring in the summer.

Boro sit 12th in the Championship table and four points outside the top-six at the time of Ayling's arrival. Carrick has multiple injury issues in their defensive department, with Tommy Smith and Darragh Lenihan both experienced defenders set to miss the remainder of the season.

Ayling is an experienced pick-up to add depth to the defence until the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Ayling departs Leeds a legend

Ayling has been a true bargain for Leeds and is, arguably, their best ever signing pound-for-pound following his £200k arrival from Bristol City in the summer of 2016.

The right-back has played 268 times for Leeds under eight different permanent managers: Garry Monk, Thomas Christiansen, Paul Heckingbottom, Marcelo Bielsa, Jesse Marsch, Javi Gracia, Sam Allardyce and Farke. He's scored 11 goals - many of which have been memorable - and registered 21 assists, as well as serving as the club's vice-captain supporting Liam Cooper.

Under Bielsa, Ayling excelled in the Championship between 2018 and 2020, scoring six goals and registering 10 assists across two seasons, as Leeds eventually won promotion back to the Premier League after 16 years. His goal against Huddersfield Town in March 2020 will go down as one of the best in Leeds' history, too.

In the Premier League, Ayling played 93 times across three seasons.

Leeds have full-back issue to solve

Ayling's exit from Leeds will be emotional, but the club have to move forwards and address a problem area in their squad now.

Djed Spence has returned to Tottenham after an underwhelming loan, with Farke's faith in 17-year-old midfielder, Archie Gray, at right-back. He's got Jamie Shackleton, too, but he's been like Ayling and very much out of the picture in recent weeks, only coming back into the fold in the FA Cup.

There's Sam Byram still, but he's got historic injury problems and has been playing at left-back to cover Junior Firpo, who is another with a rotten injury record.

Spence's loan ending and Ayling heading out to Middlesbrough leaves Leeds with, essentially, two injury-prone full-back options and two midfielders playing out of position. It's something that Farke probably has to address with a signing at both left-back and right-back this month.