The 4 Middlesbrough FC players we can see leaving in January | OneFootball

With the January transfer window drawing ever closer on the horizon, FLW takes a look at 4 Boro players who could leave this winter.

Middlesbrough enjoyed a strong summer transfer window that saw a number of talented players make the move to Teesside, and perhaps push some of their original crop further towards a Riverside Stadium exit.

Boro were able to add the likes of Tommy Conway, Ben Doak, Aidan Morris and George Edmundson to their ranks over the summer, as Michael Carrick will hope he's put the final pieces on a squad that is capable of winning Premier League promotion this season.

But, as fresh faces arrive, old ones can see their roles in the squad become more redundant, as further competition can often place barriers to regular playing time in front of them as a result.

With the January window looming on the horizon, which Middlesbrough players could seek a Riverside escape route in the winter window?

Football League World investigates...

Alex Bangura

Since arriving from Dutch side Cambuur last summer, Alex Bangura's Middlesbrough career has not gone to plan so far.

The Sierra Leone international suffered multiple injury setbacks last season, and enabled Lukas Engel to establish himself as Boro's first-choice left-back last term.

Injuries are once again threatening to be the unfortunate tale of his time on Teesside, as on the eve of the 2024/25 season, it was confirmed that he would be out for some time after undergoing surgery on his Achilles.

That forced the club to head back into the transfer market to acquire further depth at his position, with Brazilian defender Neto Borges arriving in the closing stages of the window.

With two left-backs now seemingly above him in the pecking order, the 25-year-old Bangura may wish to seek pastures new in January, at which point he may have recovered from his most recent ailment.

Middlesbrough will face a dilemma though, as when he has been involved in the side Bangura has largely been impressive, with his two goals and three assists in 18 appearances last term offering a glimpse into the potential impact he could have in Carrick's team.

As such, a short-term loan deal may be an ideal opportunity to allow Bangura to seek some regular minutes away from Teesside, whilst also offering Boro's decision makers the chance to assess his progress ahead of a potential decision over his future in the summer.

Alex Gilbert

The conundrum of what to do with Alex Gilbert is one that is puzzling many Middlesbrough fans, and no doubt their club's head coach too.

When called upon, the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland youth international has been very impressive, with his playmaking ability catching the eye on numerous occasions.

Indeed, Gilbert's 1.19 assists per 90, 48.6 successful passes per 90 and 3.58 accurate long balls per 90 were higher than any other attacking midfielder in the Championship last season - per FotMob.

But, those opportunities have been few and far between, with the vast majority of his Middlesbrough appearances so far being limited to brief substitute cameos and a couple of starts in the cup.

Finn Azaz looks fairly cemented as Carrick's number 10 this season, with new signing Conway also showing he can play that role too, and so his path to regular minutes at the Riverside doesn't appear to be an obvious one.

As the former Brentford youngster moves ever further away from the relative comfort of youth and towards his mid-20s, Gilbert will surely want to be at a club where he is playing regular football, and giving himself the best chance of progressing in his career.

That may well not be Middlesbrough, and perhaps growing tired of waiting for opportunities that rarely come for someone who's shown he's ready and capable of playing well at Championship level, he could be one that seeks a permanent exit in January.

Dan Barlaser

There aren't too many of Middlesbrough's current crop of players that divide opinion more than Dan Barlaser. Some see a relaxed, comfortable and tidy central midfielder, whilst others see a player who's inconsistent, too slow in possession and who hasn't contributed enough goals or assists during his time with the club so far.

Perhaps there's an element of truth to both sides of that argument, but what can't be disputed is that in Hayden Hackney and Morris, Carrick has found his central midfield partnership of the present, and indeed the future.

With Barlaser now relegated to a backup role, and the form of Hackney and Morris making them impossible to drop from the starting lineup, Barlaser may well see his best chance of playing regular football as being elsewhere.

At 27, the former Rotherham midfielder surely won't want to be spending his prime years sitting on the Riverside bench, and with Jonny Howson still refusing to take his leave, and with a crop of highly-rated young central midfielders coming through, Boro have depth in the middle of the park.

Barlaser was linked with a move to Turkey over the summer, and should he continue to be sitting on the fringes of Middlesbrough's squad come January, he could decide to make his exit.

Tom Glover

After signing on a free transfer from Melbourne City last summer, Tom Glover has struggled to truly push Seny Dieng for the starting gloves at Middlesbrough.

That's not because he hasn't been given the chance to do so, as the Australian was given the chance to make his claim to be Boro's number one goalkeeper between December-February last season, as Dieng was sidelined through injury.

In the 12 Championship appearances he made last term, Glover conceded 15 goals and kept just one clean sheet, which were compounded with numerous individual errors.

For a manager and supporters, having confidence in shot stopper is vital, and that's something that the 26-year-old just hasn't been able to consistently provide over the course of his Boro career so far.

With Sol Brynn now on the scene as Middlesbrough's brightest young goalkeeping talent, Glover appears to have been relegated to the role as third-choice goalkeeper at the Riverside, something he will likely have no real interest in playing as he enters the prime years of his career.

For the sake of both his domestic and international future, leaving the North East might be exactly what he needs, as he has shown flashes of the ability that saw him come through at Tottenham as a youngster.

Glover looks one of the more likely of Middlesbrough's players to make a move in January.