Birmingham City to 'fight' Sheffield United for signature of Leeds United favourite

The 32-year-old is out of contract at Leeds in the summer and does not appear to have a future at Elland Road. He is currently on loan at Middlesbrough, having joined the club on loan in the January transfer window.

Sheffield United have been credited with interest in the defender, who boasts a wealth of experience at EFL level. However, they are not the only club said to have an eye on the Arsenal academy graduate.

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According to The Sun, Birmingham are prepared to battle the Blades for Ayling’s signature in the summer. The report claims Birmingham are a genuine option for Ayling, who won promotion from the Championship with Leeds in 2020.

He has impressed under Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough, racking up six assists for the club over the course of 18 appearances. Carrick was coy on Ayling’s future earlier this month, claiming the defender is not “up on stage”.

He said: “In my mind, he’s certainly not up on stage or the shop window in terms of judging him like that [with a future contract in mind]. All of the players in that group at this moment are our players, whether they’re on loan or not, however long they have left on their contract or whatever it is. At this moment in time, he’s our player and we’ll definitely look to make the most of that."