Luke Ayling has joined Middlesbrough on a loan deal for the remainder of the 2023-24 season from Championship rivals Leeds United.
The Athletic reported on Wednesday that Ayling had undergone a medical on Teeside ahead of completing the switch to the Riverside Stadium.
The right-back made 268 first-team appearances for Leeds across seven-and-a-half seasons at the club and was a key member of the side who spent three seasons in the Premier League.
A Leeds statement read: “Luke has been a tremendous servant and representative of Leeds United, he has written his name into the history books and is respected by all connected with the club.
“He will always be welcome at Elland Road and we wish him and his family all the very best for the future.
“Subject to Luke’s availability, we hope he will be able to attend our next home match against Preston North End, on Sunday 21st January, in order for supporters to be able to give him a true Leeds United send off.”
Ayling, 32, has fallen out of favour at Elland Road this term under boss Daniel Farke — starting just eight of the side’s 26 Championship matches to date this term.
The defender’s last league start came on October 4 against Queens Park Rangers and he has not featured in the division since the victory at Leicester City on November 3.
Ayling was handed a late cameo substitute appearance in Sunday’s FA Cup third round victory at Peterborough United.
He is out of contract at Elland Road at the end of the season and it is understood that the club took a pre-Christmas decision not to extend his deal.
The full-back began his career at Arsenal but never made a senior appearance for the north London club, before spending four seasons at Yeovil Town and two years at Bristol City.
He joined Leeds in a deal worth £200,000 in the summer of 2016 and became a regular in the first-team across seven seasons, including their promotion campaign under Marcelo Bielsa in 2019-20 and subsequent three seasons in the top flight.
GO DEEPER
Luke Ayling’s omission marks emotional but necessary change at Leeds United
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
