Middlesbrough recruiting Fulham player could be perfect signing alongside Luke Ayling: View | OneFootball

Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick could see Fulham right-back Devan Tanton as a perfect complement to pending arrival Luke Ayling.

The 32-year-old is expected to become Middlesbrough's first signing of the summer, as Boro look to start their summer in strong fashion.

But even with Ayling's arrival, Carrick is still likely to want further depth at the right-back position this summer, with the uncertain futures of Tommy Smith and Anfernee Dijksteel being the driving force behind that.

One player that could be exactly what Boro are looking for to push Ayling for playing time, and to help bolster their squad depth, is 20-year-old Fulham right-back Tanton.

Fulham's Devan Tanton could be perfect complement to Luke Ayling at Middlesbrough

It's been made clear by the signings of Ryan Giles, Lukas Engel, Alex Bangura and Luke Thomas respectively that Carrick wants to play with attacking full-backs.

And as much as it wasn't expected that Leeds loanee Ayling would match that criteria, he did, as his eight assists in 19 Championship games attested to.

Described in his Fulham player biography via their official website, Tanton is described as being: "A pacey, attacking wing-back,". Those traits would suggest he'd be an ideal fit from a player profile perspective, but what of his production?

Five assists and two goals in 17 Premier League 2 appearances tells the story of a right-back who thrives in attacking areas of the pitch, something Carrick will value highly.

The 20-year-old's impressive performances even earned him international recognition, as he was called up by Colombia in December 2023, and made his debut in a 1-0 win against Venezuela.

Fulham's Academy head of player development Dan Thomas, spoke on Tanton's season following the Colombian being named as the 2023/24 winner of the Johnny Haynes Trophy - Fulham's award for the standout academy player of the season.

Speaking via Fulham Supporters' Trust, Thomas said: “He has worked really hard to make significant improvements in his defensive positioning, 1v1 defending and heading in particular. He is a credit to the Academy and staff.”

Carrick and Middlesbrough shouldn't be resting on their laurels after agreeing a deal with Ayling, as the current options behind him don't appear to be the strongest, or most reliable.

32-year-old Smith signed a two-year extension to his current deal at the Riverside in February of last year, which at the time was a smart move by the club being Carrick's starting right-back.

But after suffering a serious season-ending knee injury last October, the full-back only made six Championship appearances this season, and won't be known until Boro's pre-season friendlies get underway as to how much this injury will have taken out of him.

As for Dijksteel, the 27-year-old is also entering the final 12-months of his Middlesbrough contract, and due to a combination of injuries and falling out of favour, the Suriname international has only been able to make 41 Championship appearances out of a possible 92 over the last two seasons.

A good servant during his time on Teesside, Boro will no doubt want to do right by Dijksteel regarding his future, and it can be expected that the former Charlton man will want to be playing regular football after consecutive years playing a bit part role at the Riverside.

Therefore, Carrick may want to have a bright young prospect available to call upon should injuries plague his right-back spot again next season, and Tanton could be an ideal fit.