10 Middlesbrough players who could be saying farewell to the Riverside after Watford

While the main focus of Saturday's season conclusion against Watford will be on the future and moving forward for Middlesbrough, for some, the game might serve as their Riverside farewell.

Boro don't plan to have a summer squad overhaul to the scale of recent years, which have almost certainly then impacted them in costly slow starts to recent campaigns, including this one. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of players who have uncertain futures and could be saying goodbye as they make that lap of appreciation at the end of the game.

While some who will potentially leave the club this summer will be unavailable to play in the game, these are the Boro players who could be playing in their swansong this weekend against Watford.

READ MORE: Michael Carrick's optimistic outlook on Middlesbrough's future with 'a lot to build on'

READ MORE: Watford head to the Riverside with similar end-of-season plans as Boro

Seny Dieng

Firmly established as Boro's number one in between the sticks this season, Dieng has had a really positive first year at the club. While Boro are likely to prefer to keep him, recent reports linked Premier League clubs with interest in the former QPR man. And with talented youngster Sol Brynn returning to push for a breakthrough in the summer, it cannot be ruled out that the sale of Dieng is seen as an astute piece of business.

Luke Ayling

On loan from Leeds United, Ayling has been a regular since joining, proving himself such a reliable addition on the pitch, and a leader of it. Out of contract at Elland Road this summer, Boro might yet pick Ayling up on a free transfer, but there is said to be plenty of other clubs vying for his signature.

Anfernee Dijksteel

The right-back signed for Boro in 2019 and established himself as a regular under Neil Warnock and Chris Wilder. However, he's slipped down the pecking order under Michael Carrick and, with just 12 months left on his contract, will almost certainly leave the club this summer.

Paddy McNair

Out of contract this summer, McNair seems likely to be looking for a new club this summer after six years at the club. While he's always given his all for Boro and deserves a good send off if he recovers from his injury in time to be involved, the wage he would likely want is now beyond Boro's means for a player like McNair, who hasn't been considered a regular under Carrick.

Luke Thomas

On loan from Leicester City, Thomas has largely struggled in his half-season at the Riverside and is almost certain not to be pursued further by the club, even if the Foxes decide to sell him this summer. To be fair, he's shown some improvement in recent games, and may play due to Alex Bangura's fitness issues and Lukas Engel missing the last two for personal reasons.

Hayden Hackney

Hackney has been out injured since February and it remains unclear if he will be fit enough to play any part against Watford. While Boro are desperate to keep the midfield star at the club this summer, and despite the fact his lengthy contract offers them protection, if Hackney makes clear he wants to pursue a Premier League offer then Boro will likely struggle to keep him at the Riverside next season.

Lewis O'Brien

The Nottingham Forest loan man has had a largely frustrating season on loan at Boro, due to picking up a serious Achilles injury after just six appearances. Recently having a long run in the team, O'Brien has shown what he's capable of and could prove a solid summer signing for Boro if the finances are right. He's admitted he'd love to return too, but, as was the case with Ryan Giles last summer, it's not as straightforward as that.

Sam Greenwood

Also on loan from Leeds, Boro have a £1.5 million purchase option inserted into the agreement, though it's not quite as simple as just activating that, with the agreement with the club but not yet the player. Regardless, while Greenwood has shown flashes of his potential, his spell at Boro has largely been disappointing and whether Boro want to shell out so much on a prospect remains to be seen.

Matthew Hoppe

Despite being available for the club again since January, Hoppe has only featured on Carrick's bench twice and is yet to make an appearance since returning from his loan spell at San Jose Earthquakes. He's almost certain to be a player Boro look to move on this summer, but whether he's part of the squad this weekend to enjoy a farewell is doubtful.

Ajay Matthews

The 17-year-old striker has been attracting interest from some top clubs after an excellent season for Boro's youth teams. He has just 12 months remaining on his Boro contract and a report earlier this month suggested he is likely to leave the club this summer. However, having made two appearances in the last two games, could that tempt him to stay and develop at Boro?