Coventry City and Ipswich Town must disrupt Leeds United's plan to sign Newcastle star | OneFootball

Coventry and Ipswich should join Everton and Leeds in the hunt for Middlesbrough loanee Matt Targett this summer

Middlesbrough have gone six games without a victory in the Championship, and as a result, have seen their chances of automatic promotion contention take a hit.

What looked to be a memorable season on Teesside has quickly become one packed with nerves, as Middlesbrough's place in the top two of the Championship has slipped from their grasp.

Since Kim Hellberg took charge at the Riverside following the departure of Rob Edwards to Wolverhampton Wanderers, few sides have been more exciting to watch than Boro.

The Swede has distilled a fluid, high-possession system with Middlesbrough, resulting in them dominating more or less every game they play in terms of possession and shots.

However, unfortunately for them, this is the Championship, where the unpredictable becomes the predictable, as despite their domination in the majority of games, they are currently on a six-game unbeaten run, and have seen each of Ipswich Town, Millwall, and Southampton overtake them in the division.

With four games to go, automatic promotion is looking increasingly likely, in what is a huge disappointment for Boro. Though they could well be set to face another blow, with interest in on-loan left-back Matt Targett hotting up this summer.

Coventry City and Ipswich should join Everton and Leeds in the race for Middlesbrough loan star Matt Targett

Matt Targett joined Middlesbrough on loan in the summer from Premier League outfit Newcastle United, and has been one of Boro's standout performers this season, with four goals and three assists in the Championship for the Teesside outfit thus far.

At 30, Targett is in the prime of his career, yet has had a new lease of life under Hellberg, with the Swede allowing Targett to find himself in more attacking positions than he has been previously used to.

Hellberg's fluid style of play has seen his full-backs on both sides flourish, with Callum Brittain on the other side performing admirably too.

Yet Targett is the one who has seen himself linked with a move this summer, as according to TEAMtalk's Graeme Bailey, both Everton and Leeds United are interested in signing the Englishman this summer, with his contract at Newcastle set to expire this summer.

However, they shouldn't have an easy run-in for his signature, as both Coventry City and Ipswich Town should join the race for the Boro loan star.

Coventry and Ipswich are the two favourites to go on and achieve automatic promotion this campaign, with one point being all that is required to formally recognise the Sky Blues as a top-flight side for next year, with Ipswich trailing behind.

In the event of their promotions, both will need to revamp their squads in preparation for the Premier League, with the left-back area being no exception to either.

Coventry currently has Jay Dasilva as their main man on the left of defence, though whether the Welsh international is capable of making the step up remains to be seen, whilst neither Jake Bidwell nor Miguel Angel Brau is expected to make the jump.

Meanwhile, Ipswich's Leif Davis remains one of the best left-backs in the Championship, but his lack of competition means his role in Kieran McKenna's side has never really been in doubt when fit.

Conor Townsend has been injured for the entirety of the season, whilst Ashley Young is now in his 40s, and you'd imagine neither will be playing top-flight football anytime soon.

Targett, with over 160 Premier League appearances to his name, would be an excellent option for both, especially on a free, capable of playing across the back line, and unlikely to demand unwarranted amounts of game time.

This summer will likely be the 30-year-old's last chance of securing a big contract in his career, and with him almost certainly angling for an immediate return to the Premier League, both Coventry and Ipswich make sense, as Frank Lampard's and McKenna's sides should join top-flight opposition in the queue for Targett's signature this summer.

Frank Lampard and Kieran McKenna will be eyeing recruits this summer, and should consider Matt Targett as an option

In any instance, it looks likely to be busy summers at both the CBS Arena and Portman Road.

Should both Coventry and Ipswich earn promotion, both will have a flurry of funds to play with, yet this doesn't necessarily mean spending big is the correct option in every instance.

Both will likely be targeting recruits at left-back given their current options, and few better options will be on the market than Targett, whose mix of experience and quality, and the fact he will be available on a free, will surely be appealing to both Lampard and McKenna.

Targett would likely favour a move to Middlesbrough if they were to be promoted, but with that now cast in doubt, Coventry and Ipswich should join Everton and Leeds in the hunt for the former Aston Villa and Southampton man's signature.

Expect Coventry and Ipswich to spend big if promotion is earned, but the free transfer of Targett is likely to be just as attractive to both.