These 4 Middlesbrough FC players will exit the Riverside in 2025 if circumstances don't change | OneFootball

Boro could be set to lose some key players including their club captain next summer, if nothing changes between now and then.

Middlesbrough are hoping to take their strong end of season form from 2023/24 into the new Championship campaign, as the Teessiders look to end their Premier League exile this season.

Michael Carrick's side were able to turn a corner in the second half of last season, after beginning the campaign winless in their opening seven league fixtures.

But eventually, with a bit of patience and after a host of new players had finished adapting to their new environment, Boro went on a resurgent run that almost saw them barge their way into the play-offs.

Ultimately, they would finish four points short of sixth-placed Norwich City, but now that they've rediscovered their winning formula, optimism for a memorable season is rife on Teesside.

But what of those who may not play a part in Middlesbrough's seemingly bright future beyond next summer? Football League World takes a look at the four Boro players who are set to become free agents in 2025, if nothing changes.

Anfernee Dijksteel

A player who may not hit the free agent market next summer, right-back Anfernee Dijksteel has already reportedly been told that he can find a new club this summer, with Middlesbrough looking to cash in on the former Charlton Athletic full-back as he enters his final year under contract.

The 27-year-old Suriname international has fallen victim to persistent injury setbacks in recent times, with him only making 23 appearances in all competitions last season, whilst making just 22 the season prior.

Once one of the first names on the teamsheet during the tenures of Neil Warnock and Chris Wilder, Dijksteel hasn't been able to do enough to win back his place in the starting lineup when available, and has reached the stage of becoming surplus to requirements.

If Middlesbrough can't find a dance partner to do business with before the window shuts at the end of August, he will serve as a solid backup option.

Dijksteel has always shown himself to be a model professional, so they'll have no concerns over the potential for the situation to turn toxic.

Tommy Smith

After recovering from an Achilles injury that forced him to miss the majority of the 2023/24 season, experienced right-back Tommy Smith appears to be closing in on his return to fitness ahead of the new campaign.

That came as a blow to Boro, as the 32-year-old had been Carrick's starting right-back throughout the 2022/23 season, in which Smith made 38 Championship appearances in a year that saw the club lose in a play-off semi-final clash with Coventry City.

His absence paved the way for the eventual arrival of Luke Ayling, who appears to be Boro's new starting option following his permanent arrival on a two-year contract earlier this summer.

That could mean that Smith is reserved to a backup role moving forward, with opportunities likely only to present themselves in cup competitions, and/or if Ayling is forced to miss time through injury/suspension.

Matt Clarke

Matt Clarke's Middlesbrough story has been far from a fairytale, with the horror of suffering 14 months on the sidelines with a back injury.

But out of that struggle emerged a player who showed remarkable resilience and patience, and he got his reward last season.

The former Brighton centre-back was able to make 28 appearances in all competitions for Middlesbrough last term, a spell which included him bagging his first Boro goal and registering three assists.

Now entering the final 12 months of his contract, the 27-year-old faces tough competition for playing time in the centre of Boro's defence, with Carrick having to choose between him, Dael Fry, Darragh Lenihan and Rav van den Berg to fill the two centre-back roles.

But he's given himself the best possible chance of retaining his spot in the side with his performances last season, and indeed the best chance at winning a new deal at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro do have the option to extend his deal for a further year to take him through until the summer of 2026, should they wish to trigger it at any point next season.

Jonny Howson

Evergreen, ever reliable, and moving ever closer to the end of a distinguished career, Jonny Howson could be set to embark on his farewell tour in 2024/25.

His adoring fans on the Riverside terraces may well chant 'one more year', but that might be all they've got left, seeing the former Norwich City midfielder commanding Boro's midfield, after he penned a 12-month extension this summer.

It'll be a sad day for all of Teesside when it arrives, but it is an inevitable one, made ever clearer after the club signed US international Aidan Morris this summer.

But, you just can never say with any degree of certainty that next season will be his last, as Howson continues to play with energy and commitment levels to rival any central midfielder in the Championship.