Matt Clarke off: The 6 Middlesbrough FC players set to leave next summer if nothing changes | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are hoping that come the summer of 2025, fans will be lining the streets of Teesside as they toast to Premier League promotion.

For some Boro players though, that joy could be short-lived, as for those entering the final 12 months of their contracts at the Riverside Stadium, the summer of 2025 could be a summer of uncertainty.

Middlesbrough head coach Michael Carrick will likely want to keep hold of the vast majority of his players, but in order to run a profitable business and make room for new additions, that simply isn't always possible.

FLW will now look ahead to 2025 in order to see which current Middlesbrough players may well be sweating over their futures on Teesside...

Anfernee Dijksteel

Once upon a time, Anfernee Dijksteel was one of the first names on Middlesbrough's team-sheet, as the Suriname international enjoyed a brief spell in which he excelled under Chris Wilder during the 2021/22 season.

Now 27, the former Charlton right-back has posted back-to-back Championship seasons in which he's struggled to make an impact, whether that be through injury or from falling down the pecking order.

Carrick wants to play with attacking full-backs, and that's been made abundantly clear during his tenure to this point. So with zero goals and one assist in two seasons, Dijksteel hasn't shown he can produce the attacking output required.

Therefore, he appears likely to either be moved on this summer should Boro find a dance partner, or if not then he will most likely enter the free agent pool next summer.

Riley McGree

When Australian international Riley McGree is fit and playing, he's one of Middlesbrough's best and most creative players on the pitch.

But that was too often not the case last season, as after staying fit and playing a full season of Championship games in 2022/23, the 25-year-old was only able to make 22 league appearances for Boro in the 23/24 season.

Granted, he did spend the month of January away at the Asian Cup with the Socceroos, but he was an injury doubt heading into that tournament too having not played for Middlesbrough since the beginning of October.

And so, with just 12 months remaining on his contract, next season could well be make-or-break for McGree's Middlesbrough career, especially if the club do go on to earn promotion to the Premier League - something McGree has admitted is his burning career ambition.

Hayden Coulson

One of the names on this list in which, predicting what the likely outcome will be when his contract expires next summer is a more straightforward task, Hayden Coulson appears likely to be a Middlesbrough player no more come this time next year - even though the club retain a further one-year option on his deal.

That isn't to say it won't be a decision that will be made without any boardroom back and forth. The left-sided player was once an important figure in the Middlesbrough lineup, and the club do possess the option to extend his contract by another year until 2026.

Coulson made 29 Championship appearances for a Jonathan Woodagate, and then later Neil Warnock side during a 2019/20 season in which the club came the closest it's been to relegation to League One since they returned to the Championship in 2017.

Having enjoyed a positive loan spell with Blackpool last season, Coulson has had the taste of a career away from Teesside, and Boro could look to cash in on him this summer.

Matt Clarke

Matt Clarke is perhaps one of the names on this list whom Carrick and the club will want to keep more strongly than others, the 27-year-old was largely excellent for Boro last season.

Having finally returned from back problems that had kept him sidelined for over 200 days and 36 Middlesbrough matches, Clarke came back like he'd never been away.

There were question marks over rustiness and fitness levels, but those were soon answered in emphatic style, as he captivated the Riverside crowds with his, at times, unique approach to defending.

A clearly integral part of the dressing room, the club does have an option to exercise a one-year extension at the end of Clarke's current contract.

And should he continue to make crunching tackles and pieces of skill on the edge of his own box that some of the games finest technicians would be proud of, then it appears highly likely that he will be staying until at least 2026.

Tommy Smith

Another who faces a make-or-break season on Teesside, right-back Tommy Smith has it all to play for next season.

It should, however, be seen as an achievement that Smith will still lace up his boots next season. Recovering and playing again after Achilles surgery is never a guarantee, as it can be the type of injury to de-rail a promising young career, or push one over the cliff that was previously teetering on the edge.

So for 32-year-old Smith, a backup role to newly signed Luke Ayling will be one that he will be content with, and one that could still prove to be a highly important role.

Smith is a player that Carrick trusts, having played 38 Championship games for Boro in the 2022/23 season, and he will likely see plenty of opportunities from the bench and in cup football.

Jonny Howson

As emphatically as club captain Jonny Howson continues to pass his playing career MOT's, there will have to come a point where the veteran is able to drive Boro's midfield any further.

It's almost become a taboo subject on Teesside, as any who are caught discussing his potential expiration date as a Boro player are swiftly met with gasps of horror and piercing looks.

Instead, Middlesbrough fans have adopted the 'let's just see' approach with Howson, granted that's been going on for several years now as the central midfielder only continues to age like a fine wine.

But if 2024/25 is the year that Howson finally confirms he's human and does indeed regress, then it will likely be his last as a Middlesbrough player. Even if a backseat role is taken next season, he'll be at the center of the dressing room, and leading his teammates to a potential Premier League promotion.