Middlesbrough FC's best paid player under Steve Gibson and whether Michael Carrick is getting value | OneFootball

Are Gibson and Carrick getting a good return on their investment with Boro's highest earning player?

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson has once again backed head coach Michael Carrick to assemble a squad capable of winning promotion to the Premier League.

Boro have endured numerous promotion near misses since their relegation from the top flight in 2017, as they haven't yet been able to get themselves over the line.

However, Gibson has reinforced his unwavering ambition to see his club back among the big boys in recent times, with Middlesbrough's 2023/24 financial accounts revealing he'd written off over £135m worth of debt, whilst continuing to pump his own money into the club.

With Carrick's squad now laden with talented players and sellable assets, the financial future of the football club appears to be in good health, but which Boro player is earning the most, and is the Middlesbrough boss getting good value for that wage packet?

Using figures from Capology - which must be stressed are an estimate - Football League World investigates.

Luke Ayling revealed as Middlesbrough's highest earning player

Gibson has largely moved away from handing out big-money contracts and splashing out on eye-watering transfer fees. Largely due to the fact that Middlesbrough's days of receiving Premier League parachute payments are long gone, but also because Boro had mostly been seeing very little return on those major investments.

Since head of football Kieran Scott's arrival from Norwich City in 2021, the Teessiders have moved towards a philosophy revolving around being as shrewd as possible with how and where they spend their money.

Investing in young players with high potential for relatively small fees has become the foundation of Boro's recruitment model, but that hasn't refrained them from signing the odd veteran campaigner here and there.

One such example of that is 33-year-old right-back Luke Ayling. Having put in some highly impressive and impactful performances on a short-term loan stint with the club in the second half of last season, Boro prioritised the capture of his permanent signature on a free transfer in the summer.

The former Leeds United defender signed a two-year deal at the Riverside, and according to Capology, it was a contract that would see him become Middlesbrough's highest earning player at £30,000 per week.

However, Boro are understood to be paying less than 50 percent of winter recruit Kelechi Iheanacho's £77,550 per week contract with La Liga side Sevilla. As such, he may well be the player Middlesbrough are parting with the most money for this season, but with no official confirmation of the amount Boro are contributing, that isn't a certainty.

Michael Carrick is not getting good value for money with Luke Ayling's Middlesbrough performances this season

Unfortunately, Gibson and Carrick have not been getting their money's worth on Ayling's salary so far this season, with the experienced defender struggling to replicate his form that saw him earn a permanent move to the Riverside last term.

In just 19 appearances in the final months of last season, Ayling provided eight assists, as he established himself as one of Carrick's most important attacking outlets despite his defensive role in the team.

However, with Middlesbrough's 3-2 Tees-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland on 3 February marking his 24th appearance of the season in all competitions, he'd managed to register just two assists in that timeframe.

It's not only the attacking side of Ayling's game that has been lacking this term, his defensive performances have also seen him come under growing scrutiny from many Boro supporters.

Quick and direct wingers have more often than not been getting the better of him, whilst a number of costly individual mistakes and errors have seen a number of goals conceded being traced back to him.

It's not just Ayling that has been enduring a rough season, as Middlesbrough's defensive unit has been largely to blame for Boro's inability to cement themselves as a play-off side.

However, it's fair to say that as the highest earning player and the one wearing the captain's armband on occasions, Carrick and Gibson will no doubt have expected better from the experienced defender this season.