5 players who could follow Matthew Hoppe out of Middlesbrough FC in January 2025 | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at five Boro players who could follow Hoppe out of the Riverside Stadium in January.

Middlesbrough could look to build on a strong summer of recruitment when the January transfer window opens, as Michael Carrick looks to guide his team to Premier League promotion.

Boro have become shrewd operators in the transfer market in recent years, spearheaded by the excellent work of head of football Kieran Scott and his recruitment team.

Thanks to some large profits being turned from sales such as Morgan Rogers to Aston Villa in the previous winter window, the Teessiders have been able to reject big-money approaches for some of their prized possessions, such as Emmanuel Latte Lath.

But, in order to make any further additions in January other than an under-21 player, Boro will need to sell as they've maxed out their player registration quota of 25.

Matthew Hoppe appears destined to be one Middlesbrough player who will leave this winter, but as he wasn't registered as part of that 25-man squad, his departure wouldn't free up a spot for an incoming arrival.

So, who might be on the Riverside chopping block in January? Football League World takes a look at the Middlesbrough players who could leave the North East club over the winter.

Matthew Hoppe

No squad number, no place in the 25-man group, and seemingly no future on Teesside; Hoppe's time at the Riverside has been nothing short of a disaster.

The 23-year-old forward has made just six senior appearances since his £2.5m move from RCD Mallorca in the summer of 2022, with his last Boro appearance coming on Boxing Day 2022.

Since then, he's struggled to make an impact on numerous loan moves to Hibernian and San Jose Earthquakes respectively, and is currently part of Middlesbrough's academy side.

Boro were understood to have been attempting to sell him over the summer, and for the sake of giving a once promising young career its best chance of getting back on track, they'll surely be doing everything they can to find him a new home in January.

Tom Glover

With Seny Dieng established as Middlesbrough's number one goalkeeper this season, and promising young academy graduate Sol Brynn signing a new four-year extension recently, Tom Glover has been pushed to the fringes of Carrick's squad.

The former Melbourne City and Tottenham Hotspur man had an opportunity to show that he can be the main man between the sticks at the midway point of last season, as he took the gloves from the injured Dieng from mid-December-late February.

However, his better performances were often overshadowed by costly mistakes and poor displays, and ultimately ensured Dieng would take the gloves back from him as soon as he was deemed fit to do so.

At just 26, Glover will likely have no interest in serving as Middlesbrough's third-choice goalkeeper, and will surely be exploring his options in January.

Lukas Engel

Lukas Engel has been one of the more polarizing Middlesbrough players in recent years, as he's shown signs of being an excellent young left-back at times.

However, poor performances have outweighed the good recently, and the 25-year-old has seemingly lost his starting role to summer signing Neto Borges.

Carrick will likely want to have another proper look at a fully fit Alex Bangura when he returns from Achilles surgery somewhere around the new year, and with highly-rated academy graduate George McCormick penning a new long-term deal, Boro aren't short of options at the left-back spot.

The Boro boss needs players that he has 100% trust in to perform moving forward, and after taking Engel out of the firing line on numerous occasions during his Boro career due to disappointing performances, it's hard to see him falling into that category.

Dan Barlaser

At 27, Dan Barlaser is firmly in the prime years of his career, and if the former Rotherham United central midfielder wants to spend them playing regular first team football, he may have to seek a Riverside exit in January.

That's because Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris have been forming one of the best and most exciting midfield partnerships in the Championship this season, and with the evergreen Jonny Howson still under contract until the summer, Barlaser looks to have dropped to Boro's fourth-choice option in the middle of the park.

The club also have a crop of highly-rated central midfielders coming through their academy system, with the likes of Law McCabe and Fin Cartwright on the verge of breaking into the first-team squad on a regular basis.

Barlaser was strongly linked with a move to Turkey over the summer, and that could once again be an option that would surely appeal in January.

Alex Gilbert

A player who seemingly can't win the favour of his manager despite impressing every time he's been called upon, Alex Gilbert must be growing frustrated at his lack of opportunities in a Middlesbrough shirt.

The 22-year-old attacking midfielder has looked sharp, confident and ready to make an impact every time he's stepped foot on the pitch for Boro since his move from Brentford in July 2023, but has yet to have been able to hold down a starting role.

Finn Azaz' presence has made that difficult, but even so, the positive contributions on football matches he's been able to make when given his chance has many Middlesbrough fans wanting more of Gilbert than what they've been getting.

Therefore, a permanent move would surely be something the club won't want to commission, but a temporary loan move to get some regular minutes under his belt could be a deal that would suit both parties in January.

Marcus Forss

Few Middlesbrough players have frustrated Boro fans more than Marcus Forss has in recent times. That's not through poor performances or a lack of ability, quite the opposite in fact.

The Finland international has shown himself to be a very good player at Championship level, but injury setback after injury setback has prevented him from becoming a key player under Carrick, that he otherwise surely would've grown into.

A versatile forward who's predominantly operated as a right-winger during his time on Teesside, the 25-year-old has always looked like one of the club's most natural finishers, with his work rate and pressing endearing him to the Riverside crowds.

However, with the arrivals of Ben Doak, Micah Hamilton and Delano Burgzorg, as well as the existing presence of Riley McGree and Isaiah Jones, Boro have real strength in depth on the flanks, especially on the right.

That could see Forss become dispensable to Carrick now, and he could still fetch a sizeable fee in January should the club wish to raise funds in order to make a splash in the market.