Middlesbrough's promising young defender Finley Munroe is attracting significant loan interest from fellow Championship clubs this summer, Hayters understands.

The 21-year-old full-back joined Boro in January from Aston Villa after an impressive loan spell at League Two side Swindon Town. Despite the excitement surrounding his arrival, Munroe has found first-team opportunities hard to come by under manager Kim Hellberg, making just three Championship appearances since signing.

While Middlesbrough view Munroe as their long-term solution at left-back, he currently sits behind Matt Targett and Alex Bangura in the pecking order. With Targett set to return to parent club Newcastle United this summer and Bangura's future uncertain, there could be an opening for Munroe to step up next season.

However, Boro are carefully weighing their options. The club is considering whether a loan move could provide the youngster with more guaranteed game time to continue his development. It's a crucial decision for a player who happens to be the cousin of Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice.

Munroe arrives with glowing credentials. Swindon boss Ian Holloway was particularly vocal about his quality, even questioning Aston Villa's decision to let him go permanently. "We've just lost the quality he gave us down there," Holloway said after Munroe's loan was cut short. "Well done to Middlesbrough for recognising it. Aston Villa, you should be ashamed of yourselves. You let go one of the best future left-backs I have ever seen in my lifetime."

Adding another layer of intrigue to Munroe's situation is the ongoing investigation into alleged spying by Southampton on a Middlesbrough training session. Boro were defeated by Southampton in the play-off semi-finals, but there remains a possibility that Southampton could face sanctions, potentially opening the door for Middlesbrough to replace them in the final against Hull City at Wembley for a shot at Premier League promotion.

For now, Munroe's immediate future hangs in the balance as Middlesbrough weigh the benefits of a loan move against the potential opportunity for increased first-team action next season.