Keeper Roberts joins McNair in Boro exit
MIDDLESBROUGH have released two senior players at the end of the 2023-24 season, with goalkeeper Liam Roberts joining the alreadyannounced Paddy McNair through the Boro exit door this summer.
Jamie Jones’ contract has also expired, but the keeper will stay with the club to receive treatment on an injury and could yet stay on.
McNair had previously confirmed that he would be leaving the club after six years with his contract expiring this summer.
The versatile defender had slipped down the pecking order at the Riverside since Michael Carrick’s arrival as boss, and all parties agreed that allowing the Northern Irishman to move on this summer was the best move for all parties.
Roberts, meanwhile, leaves two years after joining the club from Northampton Town.
He spent his first season as understudy to Zack Steffen and, though he wasn’t intended to leave last summer despite the arrivals of Seny Dieng and Tom Glover, he opted to move on loan to play football, with Boro ultimately sanctioning a loan move to Barnsley. That proved a successful move for him and the Tykes are likely to pursue a permanent deal this summer.
With Roberts’ decision to leave, Boro were forced to look elsewhere for a third-choice keeper last summer and they found one in the form of Jones, who had recently left Wigan Athletic on a free.
The 35-year-old has not yet made a competitive appearance for the club, but has proven an important figure in the dressing room having previously captained the Latics and could yet sign a new deal.
All three senior players are now free to discuss moves to other clubs this summer, with their Boro deal officially coming to an end on June 30.
Joining them in leaving the club are loan trio Sam Greenwood, Lewis O’Brien and Luke Thomas, with Boro thanking them for their efforts as they released their retained list.
The club’s fourth loanee, Luke Ayling, will be a free agent this summer when his Leeds United contract expires and he is in negotiations to rejoin Boro in a permanent transfer after impressing during his half-season loan spell at the Riverside.
As well as the senior players, Boro’s retained list also confirmed that academy players Ben Beals, Sam Collins, Joe Gibson, Fenton John, Max Metcalfe, Henry Popple, Jeremy Sivi and Frankie Whelan have all left the club too, as well as scholars JD Costello, George Grant, Amazing Kiasungua and Cameron Simpson.
With the retained list now confirmed, Boro will soon begin their season preparations with the start of preseason and the summer transfer window.
The window opens on June 14, although, with the European Championships taking place at that time, it could be some time before it really bursts into life – with the free agent market usually the first flurry of summer moves.
As well as Ayling to bolster their options at right-back, Boro are believed to be looking to add a central midfielder and attacking forward this summer to cover the departures of loan men O’Brien and Greenwood. They also want a striker.
Other signings could be considered later in the window depending on the market and player availability, while Boro will also need to react in the event big offers come in for star players.
Riley McGree ended the season on the treatment table after surgery and it’s not yet known whether or not he will be far enough through his process of rehabilitation to start pre-season training with the rest of his teammates.
But his contract situation is likely to be a big summer priority for Boro, with just 12 months remaining on his current deal.