The Middlesbrough FC players who may sign a pre-contract agreement away from the Riverside next month | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at four Boro players who could set up summer moves in the upcoming January transfer window...

The upcoming January transfer window will offer Michael Carrick the chance to improve his Middlesbrough squad, as well as enable a number of out of contract players to potentially set up a summer exit.

Boro have emerged as a serious promotion contender so far this season, as the Teessiders look to end what will be an eight-year Premier League exile this season.

However, for some of Middlesbrough's players, this term may be their last at the Riverside Stadium, as their contracts are set to expire in the summer.

This means that the January transfer window will allow those heading into the final six months of their Middlesbrough contracts to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club.

But who are those Boro players, and how likely is it that the 2024/25 season will be their last in the North East? FLW investigates...

Anfernee Dijksteel

From the summer scrapheap to a prized member of the starting XI, Anfernee Dijksteel has breathed new life into his Middlesbrough career so far this season.

The 28-year-old has churned out consistently impressive performances when given the nod this term, and now appears to have won the starting job at right-back over Luke Ayling.

Dijksteel is a player who has proven himself to be a good Championship player over the years with Boro, and was one of the first names on the teamsheet for both Neil Warnock and Chris Wilder.

However, injuries and others being preferred ahead of him had seen the Suriname international's Riverside role diminish in recent seasons, and was reported to be a player Boro were looking to sell in the summer.

But after his strong showings in the first half of the campaign, which have seen him bag his first Middlesbrough goals as well as an assist, the club's decision makers will surely be getting around the negotiation table in an attempt to thrash out the terms of a new deal before other clubs can secure his signature for nothing.

Jonny Howson

Evergreen, ever-reliable, and perhaps moving ever closer to a Middlesbrough exit, Jonny Howson could be on his farewell tour of the Riverside Stadium this season.

He's been an integral part of Boro's side ever since joining from Norwich City in the summer of 2017, rarely missing a game for the club during that time too. As such, he's forged a legacy as a true cult-hero among the Middlesbrough support, and has undoubtedly been one of the club's best investments in recent times.

However, now 36, Howson has adopted more of a backup role so far this season, but has been drafted back into the lineup in recent games due to the injury absence of Aidan Morris.

Out of contract in the summer, a Premier League promotion would be a fitting way to sign off as a Middlesbrough player, and could possibly bring about yet another extension. But, with Morris and Hayden Hackney very much the midfield pairing of the future on Teesside, the summer might just be the right time to call it quits at the Riverside.

Matt Clarke

A defender whose impact in a Middlesbrough shirt has been limited due to a 14-month injury absence, Matt Clarke has been making up for lost time since returning from his lengthy layoff.

The 28-year-old has been largely excellent for Boro in 2024, and has become a real fan favourite among the Riverside faithful for his battling performances in a Boro shirt.

However, a combination of the added presence of Ipswich Town loanee George Edmundson, and the return of Dael Fry means the former Brighton man has a fight on his hands to remain in Carrick's starting XI this season.

With the club hopeful of a return for fellow central defender Darragh Lenihan around the turn of the year and now that Rav van den Berg is back fit, Middlesbrough's centre-back room is heavily crowded to say the least.

That could have Clarke questioning whether Teesside is the best place when it comes to the security of regular game time, and could have clubs sniffing around him as a result.

However, Middlesbrough do have the option to trigger a 12-month extension to Clarke's contract, and you would have to imagine that's something Boro will do even if it's to ensure they can receive a transfer fee for him should they wish to sell.

Tommy Smith

A forgotten man at Middlesbrough, but once a pivotal part of Carrick's Boro squad, Tommy Smith looks sure to see his time on Teesside come to an end in the near future.

The 32-year-old right-back has been absent since he ruptured his Achilles in October 2023 against Birmingham City, and was Carrick's main man at that position until suffering that devastating injury.

Now out of contract in the summer, Smith is Boro's third-choice right-back, and as such, would surely face a tough task getting enough opportunities to prove his fitness and ability to the club's decision makers to warrant being handed a fresh deal in the North East.