MIDDLESBROUGH will not be allowing Grant Leadbitter to follow fellow midfielder Adam Forshaw out of the Riverside exit door this month.

Forshaw was confirmed as a Leeds United player last night after completing a deal the West Yorkshire club claim is worth £4.5m.

The 26-year-old, who has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at Elland Road, had the option of joining Cardiff City, but instead opted to leave Teesside for Leeds after it became clear he would not be featuring in Tony Pulis’ plans.

He made 103 senior appearances as a Middlesbrough player, with his best performances coming in the first half of last season’s campaign in the Premier League.

He was involved in the first four games of this season under Garry Monk, but has only made two league starts since the end of August.

His departure is hardly a surprise, with Pulis having flagged up a desire to trim the size of his squad as soon as he agreed to succeed Monk last month.

Ideally, the Boro boss would like to see four or five players leave before the transfer window closes, with Forshaw having become the second player to depart after Connor Roberts made an early return to Swansea City.

Forshaw’s departure still leaves Pulis with a number of central-midfield options, but despite increased speculation linking Leadbitter with a possible departure, there is no chance of the influential 32-year-old leaving Teesside this month.

There have been suggestions that Leadbitter is due to become a free agent in the summer, but the midfielder is in fact contracted to Boro for another two-and-a-half years after recently signing a contract extension.

That extended deal rules out any need for Boro to look to recoup funds for the former Sunderland trainee, and Pulis regards Leadbitter as one of his most important assets as he looks to guide his side into the play-off places in the remaining four months of the season.

Consequently, he will not be allowing him to move anywhere, even though Nottingham Forest have been lining up a formal offer.

Aitor Karanka would love to be reunited with Leadbitter at the City Ground, but if the former Boro boss was to make a formal approach in the next two weeks, it would be swiftly rebuffed.

The situation with Adam Clayton is slightly less clear-cut, although with Forshaw having left, there is an obvious reluctance to lose another experienced central midfielder.

Karanka has also been eyeing Clayton, with sources in the Midlands suggesting Forest are poised to table a £2m bid for the 29-year-old.

Clayton has not started any of Pulis’ matches in charge, but his substitute appearances against Sunderland and Fulham suggest he could yet have a part to play in the remainder of the campaign. As a result, it would be a surprise if he was to be ushered through the exit door this month.

The same is true of Adama Traore, even though the winger remains the subject of strong interest from West Ham United.

Meanwhile, Boro’s Under-23s game with Nottingham Forest, which was due to take place this evening, has been postponed because of snow.