Boro should look to steer Leeds and Villa target Adam Clayton to Sunderland

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Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton is attracting attention from the likes of Leeds United and Aston Villa.

One of the most hotly contested transfer races in the Championship during this January window looks set to be the battle for Adam Clayton’s signature, with the Yorkshire Post reporting that Leeds and Aston Villa are two of the six teams in the running for the Middlesbrough midfielder.

But it now appears that it may be seven sides chasing his signature, with the Sunderland Echo adding that Chris Coleman’s Sunderland also want to sign the 28-year-old as they look to get themselves out of trouble in the second tier.

With Clayton out of favour at the Riverside Stadium lately, Boro may feel that they do not mind too much regarding where the former Manchester City trainee ends up this month.

But surely, they should look to steer Clayton towards the Stadium of Light – despite the rivalry between the two clubs – rather than let him join either Leeds or Villa during this window.

Clayton may not be in the current plans with Boro, but he is still a player of significant quality who could improve most squads in the division – and he, of course, would bring experience of winning promotion out of the second tier with him.

Therefore, selling or loaning him to the Black Cats makes perfect sense if they are determined to move him off the books this month as Coleman’s men are currently bottom of the table, 19 points back of Tony Pulis’ men.

Meanwhile, Leeds and Villa are two of the teams currently pushing eighth-place Boro out of the top six. Thomas Christiansen’s men and the Villans currently occupy the last two play-off spots, and both are within arm’s reach.

With the three looking set to all be involved in the race for the top six this season, it would arguably be a gamble to sell Clayton to either, whereas it would surely be nowhere near as great a risk to let him leave for Sunderland given that they currently look up against it simply trying to stay in the division.