CHRIS WILDER is anticipating a large number of departures from Middlesbrough this summer – and admits he has challenged a couple of established first-team players to improve their performances if they want to remain part of his squad.

Wilder is currently overseeing a major overhaul of Boro’s senior group, with a number of players already having left since the end of last season. Sol Bamba, Lee Peltier and Neil Taylor were released at the end of their respective deals, Andraz Sporar, Aaron Connolly, Folarin Balogun and James Lea-Siliki returned to their permanent employers following the end of their loan spells, and Joe Lumley, Sol Brynn, Zach Hemming and Nathan Wood have all moved on in the last couple of weeks.

The cull will not end there though, with further departures anticipated before the transfer window closes at the end of August. Grant Hall, Hayden Coulson, Chuba Akpom and Uche Ikpeazu have all been told they do not have a future on Teesside, with Boro’s recruitment team currently actively involved in discussions aimed at moving them on.

There are also significant question marks over Martin Payero and Marc Bola, with the pair having failed to hold down a first-team spot under Wilder last season. Payero did not make a single first-team start after Wilder replaced Neil Warnock last autumn, while Bola was dropped from the starting side for the final two matches of the campaign and now finds himself behind new signing Ryan Giles in the pecking order at left wing-back.

“There are some players that are not part of the plans that we will be looking to move on,” admitted Wilder, who has made three signings since the transfer window reopened, recruiting Liam Roberts, Darragh Lenihan and Ryan Giles. “There are also a couple we’ve put bombs under in the first team.

“I’ve had it at my previous club where I’ve said to them, ‘You’re not part of the plans’, but for whatever reason they ended up being in the end. They came back after the summer and went, ‘I don’t really want to leave this place’, and they got their finger out.

“There are a couple in the group that could fall into that category, but if they go the other way, then I’ve ultimately made the right decision. But if they come back and prove me wrong, that’s good for me because I still think they’re good players and they could have something to offer.

“Sometimes, there’s a bit of psychology involved in a couple of them to test them out if I don’t think that they’ve done enough, but they could have more to come. If they can, they will add to the group, and if they don’t, then there is more work for us to do.”

Payero’s position has been the subject of intense discussion in South America, with both his former club, Banfield, and Boca Juniors having held talks over a potential deal for the midfielder.

Boca have been linked with a possible 18-month loan deal, with a view to a permanent transfer further down the line, but having shelled out around £4m to sign Payero last summer, Boro’s recruitment team will be reluctant to agree to anything that leaves them significantly out of pocket.

“Character is important to what I’m trying to build, in terms of the personality and culture at the club,” added Wilder. “So, they need to prove they have that.

“My thinking is, if they don’t want to work hard this summer and prove themselves to me, they’re not going to want to grit their teeth when it gets tough at Luton away on a Tuesday night in February. When the questions get asked, they go under. We can’t have that.”

Wilder and the rest of Boro’s recruitment team continue to pursue targets of their own, with former Sheffield United striker David McGoldrick having visited Rockliffe for discussions at the end of last week. The 34-year-old played under Wilder at Bramall Lane, and boasts extensive experience in both the Championship and Premier League.

Boro also remain in talks with Newcastle United over Dwight Gayle, another experienced campaigner who is proven at Championship level. Gayle is expected to leave the Magpies this summer, although his £40,000-a-week wages are posing a problem to all the Championship clubs who are looking to sign him.

“I’m confident we’ll sign good players based on conversations we’ve already had and how far we are down the line with them,” said Wilder. “I think people will look at them and go, ‘That’s a really good signing that’, and it’s players who are wanting to come.

“I’ve been working with agents for a number of years and been hands on, so I think that gives us a bit of an advantage because I’ve got experience and history with these guys.”