Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala has a decision to make on his future, with the 29-year-old out of contract at the Riverside Stadium in the summer and seemingly attracting some interest as January approaches.

Ayala has been with Boro since October 2013; making over 200 appearances, helping the club to promotion and playing in the Premier League for the Teessiders.

However, his deal with Boro is running down, with reports emerging from TEAMtalk that he could be on his way out of the Riverside Stadium as the club look to cash-in on the 29-year-old.

That opens up a couple of possibilities for the centre-back, with a few of Middlesbrough’s Championship rivals open to offering him a fresh start.

We explore some of the paths Ayala could take from here…

New deal with Boro

Recently, Ayala admitted that he wanted to stay at the Riverside Stadium.

Of course, the possibility of that happening would depend on Boro actually putting him a contract on the table, which is up in the air at this point at they look to cut costs.

However, you’ve got to say that it is a possibility, with Jonathan Woodgate surely keen to retain a key player to help them work their way out of a precarious league position.

Leeds United switch in January

 

TEAMtalk note how Leeds are one rival to hold an interest in Ayala.

Whilst their report claims Fulham is a more likely destination, it is worth nothing that Ayala knows Leeds’ Director of Football Victor Orta, whilst a host of ex-Boro players are on the books at Elland Road.

Adam Forshaw, Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford have all been teammates of Ayala, and could be a factor in him choosing Leeds if they make their move.

Challenging Ben White and Liam Cooper for a starting berth might well appeal to the 29-year-old.

Become a free agent next summer

This would open up many possibilities for Ayala.

In January, clubs might not want to part with cash for the centre-back, whilst Boro could also be reluctant to lose such a key player mid-season, despite his contract situation.

That might leave Ayala watching his contract tick down heading into the summer, when he’d be in-demand, certainly in the Championship.