MIDDLESBROUGH will listen to offers for Anfernee Dijksteel this summer, with the permanent signing of Luke Ayling having left the defender surplus to requirements.

Ayling joined Boro on a permanent basis last month, having spent the second half of last season on loan from Leeds United, and is set to start next season as Boro’s first-choice right-back.

Tommy Smith will be the second-choice option on the right of the back four, with the defender set to be fit for the start of pre-season following a lengthy lay-off because of an Achilles injury.

Smith ruptured his Achilles during last October’s win over Birmingham, but is expected to be available when Boro’s players return to training at the end of this month.

With Ayling and Smith competing for the right-back berth, Dijksteel’s first-team opportunities are expected to be extremely limited. As a result, Boro are looking to sell the 27-year-old, who will enter the final year of his current contract on Teesside at the end of this month.

Dijksteel made eight Championship starts last season, with a further 12 league appearances coming off the bench, but struggled when he was handed a first start in almost four months in the 4-3 home defeat to Leeds in the final month of the campaign.

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The Suriname international joined Boro from Charlton in the summer of 2019, and has made 131 senior appearances for the Teessiders. He was a firm favourite of former boss Neil Warnock, but has failed to make much of an impression under current head coach Michael Carrick.

Dijksteel is currently on international duty with Suriname, who have made a strong start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.

Having helped Suriname claim a 3-0 win over Saint Vincent and Grenadines in their opening qualifier, Dijksteel played the opening 45 minutes at the weekend as his side followed up with a 4-0 victory over Anguilla.