Luke Ayling has almost definitely played his final game for Leeds United, but he might play an important role in Middlesbrough’s automatic promotion chase this weekend.
Ayling left Elland Road on loan for Boro in January but is unlikely to return to Leeds, since his contract expires in the summer.
Along with Liam Cooper and the now-retired Stuart Dallas, Ayling will not be handed a new contract at the end of the season, marking the end of a great era for the club.
The 32-year-old has impressed at Boro and still has dim chances of finishing in the play-offs this season, but it would necessitate a strong run of form in the remaining four games, as well as favorable results.
One of Boro’s games is against Leeds, but both Ayling and Sam Greenwood will be ineligible to play their parent club, which should help Daniel Farke’s team.
Ayling might do Leeds a final great favor on Saturday.
The automatic promotion battle took a new turn this week when Leeds, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town all failed to win their games.
Mid-table sides Sunderland and Watford held Leeds and Ipswich to 0-0 draws, while Leicester were defeated by relegation-threatened and out-of-form Millwall.
Clearly, all three parties are nervous about the war, but that should be resolved this weekend. Leicester face Plymouth Argyle first on Friday, followed by an early Saturday fixture against Blackburn Rovers at Leeds.
If both win, it would place Ipswich under a lot of strain ahead of their home game against Middlesbrough, with Ayling and Greenwood looking like starters based on recent team selections.
Ayling stated last summer that it was his desire to see Leeds promoted in front of their fans, and he might go a long way toward accomplishing that by defeating Ipswich on Saturday, even though he has played his final game in a white shirt.
Is there any chance Ayling will return to Leeds?
Given the way the news was made after departing on loan, it appears doubtful that Ayling will return.
It appears that the club is attempting to start a new chapter by letting all of Ayling, Cooper, and Dallas to depart in the summer, despite their importance in recent seasons.
Earlier this year, Patrick Bamford all but guaranteed that Ayling would not be returning to his BBC program.
He explained: “It’s a loan, but when he departed, he only had six months left on his Leeds contract. So, technically, it is a loan, but it lasts forever. He’s not returning to Leeds.
