Recent reports suggest Boro boss Jonathan Woodgate is to be troubled with departures come the January transfer window in under two months. 

Jonathan Woodgate's managerial career has endured a tricky start this season, with his Middlesbrough side sitting inside the relegation zone after sixteen games.

Now latest reports from TeesideLive suggest that Woodgate is going to lose some of his key players when the January transfer window rolls around.

There six senior Boro players with contracts expiring next year and with the club now running on limited funds in comparison to previous seasons, it may be wise for Steve Gibson, club chairman, to cash in whilst he still can.

One man attracting interest from elsewhere is controversial figure Daniel Ayala. The Spanish centre-half has been at Boro since 2014, making over one-hundred and fifty appearances in his five years at the club.

This season Ayala has started thirteen games and even had his name on the scoresheet once. The clubs rumoured to interested are Leeds United, Stoke City and Fulham. With two of the three sides occupying places competing for promotion, it's likely Ayala could be persuaded to leave Teeside.

Furthermore, club captain George Friend is being linked with a move away from Boro. Now 32, the has made over two-hundred and fifty appearances for the club he joined back in 2012. Yet with the defender also out of contract in the summer it's entirely possible Friend will look to secure his future elsewhere.

Stoke are being heavily linked with the player, with Stoke on Trent Live claiming new manager 'Michael O'Neill is certain to try and address the left back position in January'.

After a damning start to the campaign, Boro fans may have seen the January transfer as the potential turnaround for their season. With the latest news coming out however, they may be in a worse position come February.