Ex-Leeds United star claims 20 players could leave club this summer as Middlesbrough complete major deal

Championship promotion contenders Middlesbrough have sent out a statement of intent to the rest of the division by securing the long-term future of in-demand manager Michael Carrick.

The 42-year-old had been heavily linked with the Brighton job after the departure of Roberto De Zerbi and was also an outside contender to take over the reins at West Ham before the appointment of Julen Lopetegui, according to reports.

Carrick was appointed Middlesbrough manager in October 2022 and arrived at a time where the club were 21st in the Championship table after a poor start under predecessor Chris Wilder.

During his first few months at the Riverside, Carrick inspired a huge upturn in fortunes and introduced an eye catching brand of football as the team secured a fourth place finish before missing out on the play-offs.

Carrick’s first full season saw the club reach the Carabao Cup semi-final, but was a slight drop off in the league as the North Yorkshire side fell to an eighth place finish - four points short of the play-offs. Despite only being in the job for 20 months, Carrick is the longest serving of six Boro bosses who have come and gone since Aitor Karanka was sacked in 2017.

“I’ve always been quite calm about it," Carrick told the club website. "I think having that attachment, that trust and that belief within the club is really important.

“We’ve certainly got that - that’s what still gives me the great feeling that I had when I first walked through the door. It feels like a big step as a headline, as a statement, but really it doesn’t change anything I do or how I approach it - it just carries on what we’re trying to achieve.”

Paul Robinson claims as many as 20 players could leave Leeds United after play-off final heartbreak

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson has claimed that as many as 20 Leeds players could depart this summer in a mass exodus as the club prepares for a second season in the Championship.

The ex-England international told Football Insider: “There have been whispers at least 20 players could leave Elland Road this summer. You look at the likes of Cody Drameh, Stuart Dallas is obviously going to be moving to the coaching staff.

“Contracts and loan deals are coming to an end for Poveda, Byram, Rodon, Shackleton, Anthony, Roberts, Ayling and Cooper. It’s going to be a really huge summer for Leeds to rebuild. The first thing is they are going to have to cut their cloth accordingly.

“But they are going to have to take stock of what they are going to lose, how much they are going to bring into the club, what they can get for the players out on loan.

“It’s about seeing what’s going to be going out before you know what’s going to be coming in. It’s hard to say what positions they are going to need because you don’t know what players are going to be around.”