MIDDLESBROUGH’S hopes of re-signing Ryan Giles have suffered a major blow, with Wolves on the verge of agreeing a deal to release another of their left-backs.

Wolves currently have three senior left-backs on their books – Giles, who spent last season on loan at the Riverside, Huge Bueno and Rayan Ait Nouri.

It had always been anticipated that the Premier League club would look to move on one of the defenders this summer, and Boro had been hoping they could engineer a deal that would enable Giles to return to Teesside.

However, Wolves officials are now in advanced talks with Nice over a deal that would see Ait Nouri leave Molineux this summer.

The French club have held discussions over a proposed deal that would see Ait Nouri initially move to Ligue 1 on a season-long loan, but with Nice agreeing to an automatic clause that would force them to complete a permanent transfer next summer provided certain conditions are met.

The finer details of the switch are still to be ironed out, but the French media claim Nice are increasingly confident of being able to conclude a deal in the next few days, with Ait Nouri reportedly having expressed a desire to return to France. The 22-year-old Algerian began his career with Angers before moving to England.

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If Ait Nouri does leave, there is much less chance of Julen Lopetegui also being willing to release Giles this summer. The Wolves boss already needs to strengthen in a number of different areas, and will not want to add the pursuit of a new left-back to his to-do list.

Boro have held ongoing discussions with the Wolves hierarchy ever since Giles’ loan deal came to an end, and will continue to monitor the situation closely. However, with the start of the new Championship season now just three weeks away, there will come a point where the Teessiders’ recruitment team accept the need to move on to alternative options if a deal for Giles is effectively off the table.

Boro need a new left-back as Giles is not the only left-sided defender to have left the club this summer. Marc Bola also headed through the exit door earlier this month, joining Turkish Super Lig side Samsunspor on a permanent deal. While Bola has been a fringe performer throughout Michael Carrick’s reign, he would at least have been capable of plugging a gap at left-back if required.

As it is, Boro’s only option in the position at the moment is Hayden Coulson, who is back in the fold after spending last season on loan at Scottish Premier League side Aberdeen. Coulson has been training with the rest of Boro’s first-team squad at Rockliffe Park this week, and is set to challenge for a first-team spot next term.