The 4 Middlesbrough FC players set to become free agents next year | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at the 4 Boro players who are set to see their contracts expire in 2025 if nothing changes.

Middlesbrough have registered a mixed bag of results and performances in the early stages of the 2024/25 Championship season, which has put a slight dampener on an exciting summer of transfer business.

Michael Carrick was able to make some quality additions to his side over the summer window, with the likes of Aidan Morris, Tommy Conway and Micah Hamilton all making permanent moves to the Riverside Stadium.

A double Deadline Day Premier League loan swoop for Liverpool's Ben Doak and Ipswich Town's George Edmundson respectively, put the finishing touches on what appears to be yet another highly impressive transfer window in terms of recruitment on Teesside.

Boro were also able to fend off interest in a number of their star players, as retaining the services of key assets such as Emmanuel Latte Lath, Rav van den Berg and Hayden Hackney will be vital to their promotion aspirations this season.

But what of those who may not play a part for Middlesbrough beyond 2025? Football League World takes a look at the four Boro players who are set to become free agents if nothing changes next year.

Anfernee Dijksteel

Right-back Anfernee Dijksteel had reportedly been told that he could find a new club over the summer, with Middlesbrough seemingly looking to cash in on the former Charlton Athletic full-back who is in his final year under contract.

The Suriname international has fallen victim to persistent injury setbacks in recent times, after 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 has shown the ability that he possesses when called upon so far this season, and has proven to be a vital and reliable piece of depth through the opening stages of the campaign.

He even notched his first Boro goal in the Carabao Cup against Leeds United, with his brilliant individual run and finish being a goal that any forward would've been proud of.

Dijksteel may well have done enough to warrant a change of heart from the club's decision makers, but his future on Teesside perhaps depends on what division Middlesbrough are plying their trade in next season.

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 finally appears to be closing in on his return to fitness.

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 meeting with Coventry City.

His absence paved the way for the eventual arrival of Luke Ayling, who has largely cemented his role as Boro's new starting right-back following his permanent arrival on a two-year contract in the summer.

Smith will be 33 by the time the season, and indeed his contract ends, and should he struggle to carve out a meaningful role once he's fully fit, it's difficult to see him being a player the club will keep around.

Matt Clarke

Matt Clarke has enjoyed a Riverside resurgence since recovering from the horror of suffering 14 months on the sidelines with a back injury in the second half of last season.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion 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.

Arguably Boro's best player since his return to the squad, the 28-year-old has shone once again so far this season, and as of matchday 9 in the Championship, he is the club's joint-top scorer with two goals.

However, there is tough competition for playing time in the centre of Boro's defence, with Carrick having to choose between him, Dael Fry, Darragh Lenihan, Van den Berg, Edmundson and highly-rated youngster Harley Hunt to fill the two centre-back roles when all fit.

But, he's given himself the best possible chance of retaining his spot in the side with his performances last season and into this term, 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 before his contract expires - something no doubt many Teessiders will be desperate to see happen.

Jonny Howson

It's not something that Middlesbrough fans will want to think about, but it's true that Jonny Howson could be embarking on his farewell tour at the Riverside Stadium this season, with his contract set to expire next summer.

The 36-year-old former Norwich City midfielder has been commanding Boro's midfield since 2017, and was the toast of Teesside after he penned a 12-month extension over the summer.

But, after suffering an injury in the Carabao Cup vs Leeds, Howson has been absent since mid-August. This served as a sobering reminder to the Boro faithful that he is in fact human after all, having barely missed a game since his arrival all those years ago.

Howson's succession plan became evident this summer too, as the signing of Morris and the development of young talent such as Law McCabe and Fin Cartwright have shown that the club are very much casting their eyes towards the future in that position.

However, Middlesbrough fans have learned that you just can never say with any degree of certainty that next season will be his last...