Middlesbrough duo Chuba Akpom and Uche Ikpeazu are expected to depart the Riverside Stadium in the next few weeks, according to a report from Northern Echo reporter Scott Wilson.

Brought in by Neil Warnock back in 2020, he was loaned out by the veteran the following summer after failing to establish himself as a prolific goalscorer on Teesside, recording just five goals in 38 appearances during the 2020/21 campaign.

He found a new temporary home at Greek outfit POAK and registered 11 goals for his former loan side in all competitions, a total that seemingly hasn't impressed Chris Wilder enough for him to be included in his first-team plans for next season.

Ikpeazu, meanwhile, was a victim of Wilder's arrival with the former Wycombe Wanderers forward rarely featuring under the 54-year-old since he succeeded Warnock in November.

Bringing in Aaron Connolly and Folarin Balogun on loan in January, a temporary move to Cardiff City was sanctioned for the remainder of the campaign but he is still under contract at the Riverside along with Akpom.

According to the Northern Echo, both Akpom and Ikpeazu are expected to leave this summer despite Boro's current lack of options in the forward department following the departures of Andraz Sporar, Connolly and Balogun.

David McGoldrick is set to arrive on Teesside though, potentially pushing both of the second-tier side's fringe options closer to the exit door.

The Verdict:

An agreement for both to go elsewhere would be ideal - and Wilder would probably prefer permanent moves for both to get them off the wage bill and potentially generate some funds for him to work with in the coming months.

In fairness, they won't be able to get a huge amount of money for either but getting their salaries off the books is the most important thing as they look to pursue new additions.

Djed Spence's likely sale this summer will provide plenty of funds to play with so free transfers for both could even be sanctioned if they are that desperate to offload both, even though they could be good assets to have elsewhere.

Ikpeazu looks especially promising and if he can stay fit, he could be a real asset both in the second and third tier, so it will be interesting to see where he ends up with a move almost certainly on the cards.

Akpom, meanwhile, has shown his willingness to move abroad so it would be no surprise to see him end up elsewhere in Europe. However, it remains to be seen if he has a decent number of offers to pick from in the coming months.