Fulham are one of a clutch of Championship clubs considering a move for Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala during the January transfer window.
Fulham, Leeds United and Stoke City are all reportedly ready to table cut-price bids for the Spanish centre back in the new year, with Ayala’s contract at the Riverside Stadium expiring at the end of the season. Jonathan Woodgate has spoken of the need to open negotiations with a number of first-team players, including Ayala, whose deals are soon to come to an end.
Ayala told the Teesside press last week that he was hopeful of signing a new deal with Middlesbrough:
“Of course I would like to stay. I have been here seven years and played 200 games and hopefully I can play a lot more. But I know things are changing at the club and maybe they want to get younger players in and maybe they want to have not so many big earners.
That is something I have to accept. That’s the reality of football now – but as I say I want to stay. For whatever reason in the last two years we didn’t go up and so maybe those things have to change. That’s the reality.”
