Leeds United loan Luke Ayling to Middlesbrough in farewell
Luke Ayling, a defender for Leeds, has signed a temporary loan deal to play for Middlesbrough, a competitor in the Sky Bet Championship.
Ayling had a significant role in Leeds’ 2020 Premier League comeback under former manager Marcelo Bielsa as well as their three-year tenure in the top division, although he is no longer the team’s starting lineup under current manager Daniel Farke.
Leeds announced: “After the 2023–2024 season, the 32-year-old will finish his current contract at Elland Road by moving to the Riverside Stadium.”
“Luke, also known as Bill, would go on to join the Whites from Bristol City in the summer of 2016 for a cost of £500k.
turn into one of the greatest acquisitions the team has ever made.”
Under previous managers Thomas Christiansen and Paul Heckingbottom, Ayling was a consistent starter for Leeds and has made 268 appearances in all competitions.
After missing out on the play-offs the season before, the right-back from Lambeth was among numerous players who flourished under Bielsa as they gained immediate promotion in 2019–20.
Leeds stated: ‘Not only on the pitch, Ayling was also exceptional off the pitch too, taking part in visits in the heart of the community and dubbed a ‘PFA champion’, while stepping up to handle media obligations, despite having a stammer, even in the worst of situations’.
After coming through Arsenal’s youth, Ayling played for Yeovil for almost 180 games before moving on to Bristol City in 2014.
Another player has left Leeds on loan; Darko Gyabi, a youthful midfielder, is rejoining Plymouth’s Ian Foster, their new head coach, for the duration of the current campaign.
Cole Palmer of Manchester City is repelled by Darko Gyabi during a match at Elland Road last season. (Photo: Pennsylvania)
Foster and 19-year-old Gyabi collaborated with England during the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in May.
Since moving from Manchester City to Leeds for a £5 million deal in July 2022, the teenager has made five appearances for the club.
Approval of the loan agreement by the English Football League is required.
In other related developments:
Leeds United’s Daniel Farke gives Luke Ayling the carrot and Charlie Cresswell the stick to make his point
The preview of Saturday’s Championship match at Cardiff City was intended, but since it’s January, there was more discussion on the players’ futures.
The manager typically takes a straightforward approach, prioritising Leeds United’s best interests above all else.
Vice captain Luke Ayling did not fulfil the requirements for a club that had already cancelled right-back Djed Spence’s loan from Tottenham Hotspur to voluntarily lose another, but the 32-year-old was an exception due to his seven and a half years of devoted service.
He was praised profusely in addition to being given permission to depart.
Charlie Cresswell would get a public beating with the stick if Ayling received the carrot.
The injuries sustained by Pascal Struijk and Liam Cooper, together with Ayling’s departure—who was frequently used as a backup central defender—should allow Cresswell to take over in south Wales.
But Farke made it clear that the 21-year-old won’t play until he understands the Elland Road hierarchy and demonstrates his excitement and acceptance of the assignment. If not, he has until 11 p.m. on February 1 to locate a club that values him equally to his own.
One thing unites this scenario with Ayling’s: as Farke has stated time and time again, “the ball is in his court.”
Farke stated sharply, “In recent years, all the coaches have decided to send him out on loan, even though five or six center-backs were allowed in our squad.” “I decided right away that we don’t.”
Charlie is a fantastic character, one of our own, and a young player with potential, so I wanted him to be one of the four natural centre backs we had to deal with.
We granted him a long-term contract in order to grant his request for the shirt number (five).
I’ve played a lot of games with Joe Rodon, Struijk, and Liam Cooper when Pascal wasn’t available. As our captain, we need men with experience, and Cooper is left-footed.
Charlie was ultimately assigned as our fourth centre back. For me, it’s the ideal situation to have a young, energetic center-back in this position who can develop gradually and earn a spot in the starting lineup.
Charlie did not appear to be very joyful. I saw that he wasn’t always attentive and focused when he travelled with us.
“Although he is a professional, it doesn’t seem like he is totally aware and committed.” More along the lines of, “What am I doing here? I’m eager to get going.
He is a player with promise who is aware of it; he was excellent as a young player. He has already shown that he can be a very excellent Championship defender—he was one of Millwall’s top players last season while on loan—but I have to make judgements for Leeds United.
“I told you to either find another team or tell me you’re content to be number four. I’m fully committed, and I know I have to wait for my opportunity and work hard every day in training. When it does come up, I’ll play with passion to possibly move up to the number three center-back position and eventually into the starting lineup.
It is not feasible for you to start ahead of Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk at this time, if that is how you currently feel. If you think like this, you won’t.
“Unless there is another solution, or until he is ready, mentally ready, for this, I won’t pick him.”That also doesn’t mean Leeds will let Cresswell go for cheap.
Farke shot back, “We don’t present him as a gift,” to any surrounding vultures. “On his growth, education, and contract, we have invested a great deal of time, money, and effort.
One of our four centre backs, he rates his own performance in the top two. If he is thus valuable, a club will undoubtedly live up to our expectations.
It was a jarring shift from the kind remarks towards Ayling.
“It’s not like our numbers in this position are too big,” contended Farke. “We want to have Luke Ayling as a human being and he is a proven, experienced player at this level, so you want to keep him.”
He came to see us following the Cup match (in Peterborough) and asked if he may be allowed to move.
You have to pay attention when a player with this club’s resume asks to depart. He’s been a member of the club for more years than I have, in terms of months.
“He has given so much back, but the club has done so much for him.
He is our senior player, and since the fire is still blazing, he wants to play a lot of minutes before his contract expires in the summer.
“He would have likely stayed if I had started him more often in the starting lineup in recent weeks, so I was somewhat to blame.
“It wouldn’t make sense to say we won’t allow this and to have him here in a moody mood because he will always be a Leeds United legend.”
Joe Gelhardt isn’t available right now, but Darko Gyabi, a 19-year-old midfielder, has gone to join Plymouth Argyle on loan so he can “mature”.
Apart from that, Farke refrained from discussing transfers in great detail. When he does, he conveys his message.
