How much money Luke Ayling was earning at Leeds United compared to Middlesbrough | OneFootball

The 34-year-old moved permanently from Elland Road to the Riverside after initially spending time on loan.

Luke Ayling's permanent move from Leeds United to Middlesbrough in May 2024 was met with a salary increase, as per Capology's estimates.

The then-32-year-old initially signed for Boro on loan the previous January, where he managed an impressive eight assists in 19 Championship games.

So far this season, Ayling has played every minute of the Teesside outfit's six league games as they find themselves top of the league on 16 points.

As he joined for no transfer fee, we'll use estimated figures from Capology to compare Ayling's old wages at Leeds United to what he is earning now at Middlesbrough.

Luke Ayling's Leeds United wages

When Ayling first joined from Bristol City in 2016 for a reported fee of £200k, he was earning approximately £5k-a-week.

The highest-paid player in the Whites' squad during 16/17 was apparently Modou Barrow, who was earning £20k-a-week, as per Capology's estimates.

For Ayling, the defender's earnings seemed to have risen quite quickly during the early years of his Leeds career, with estimates suggesting he was on around £8k-a-week for the 17/18 season and £15k-a-week for 18/19.

Following Leeds' promotion to the Premier League in 2020, where Ayling had scored four goals and provided four assists to help the Yorkshire club win the Championship title, his wages supposedly rose again to £20k-a-week.

This sum was further increased by an extra £5k-a-week, as per Capology, after his first season in the top-flight, meaning Ayling had seen his earnings increase by £20k within six seasons from both his time with the Robins and the Whites respectively.

Luke Ayling's Middlesbrough salary

Luke Ayling became the highest-paid player at the Riverside Stadium with an estimated weekly wage of £30k upon joining Middlesbrough on loan and subsequently on a permanent deal.

Interestingly, this amount exceeds what he was earning during his Leeds career, which suggests Boro were willing to offer a premium to secure his services permanently off the back of his superb loan stint on Teesside.

After winning Man of the Match against West Brom in September, Ayling reflected on a "really tough" 24/25 season - and it's fair to say fans began to question whether he was cut out for the second-tier anymore.

But if the start of this season is anything to go by, Ayling has turned his Boro fortunes back around, as he's found himself a new home operating as the right-sided centre-back in Rob Edwards' system.

For 25/26, the Capology wage structure at Boro places Ayling well ahead of the majority of other senior players - with Hayden Hackney still on an estimated £6.5k-a-week, and summer signing Callum Brittain on £20k-a-week.

Newcastle United loanee Matt Targett getting an estimated £60k-a-week means Ayling is the second-highest earner for this season - although it's safe to assume that Boro won't be paying the full amount of Targett's salary.

Having earned an estimated £9.9m throughout his career, Ayling's move to Teesside wasn't just an improvement financially but also the opportunity to play regular first-team football after finding minutes limited during his final months at Leeds under Daniel Farke.

With one year left on his current contract, you'd expect that if he was to stick around in the North East, the terms he'd be offered wouldn't be as lucrative as they are now.