LUTON TOWN have edged ahead of Middlesbrough in the battle to sign Ryan Giles, and are hoping to tie up a deal for the full-back in the next few days.
Giles was not part of the Wolves squad that travelled to Portugal this morning for a warm-weather training camp.
With the Wolves hierarchy pushing hard to sign Aaron Cresswell from West Ham, boss Julen Lopetegui has decided that Giles does not form part of his plans for next season.
As a result, the Wolves board have decided to cash in on the defender, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough.
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The Teessiders would love to re-sign Giles on a permanent basis, and been in contact with Wolves officials throughout the summer.
However, Luton have also maintained a dialogue with the Molineux club and have stepped up their attempts to land Giles markedly in the last 24 hours.
The Hatters are set to pay around £5m to seal a permanent deal for the 23-year-old, who is keen to resolve his future as quickly as possible now that Wolves have effectively called time on his spell in the Black Country.
Giles thoroughly enjoyed his time on Teesside last season, and is known to have developed a strong relationship with Boro boss Michael Carrick.
However, a move to Luton would enable him to test himself in the Premier League next season, and the Hatters are willing to offer him a lucrative long-term deal in an attempt to lure him to Kenilworth Road.
When asked about a possible deal for Giles earlier this week, Carrick said: "Who knows, who knows. As I've said, we're trying to add to the squad.
"In certain positions we're trying more than others. It's never as simple as that. We obviously have players we're trying to get, we'll see how we get on."
Having sanctioned Marc Bola’s departure to Turkey earlier this summer, Boro need a new left-back if they are not to be left short of options in the position.
Hayden Coulson has returned to the first-team fold after spending last season on loan at Aberdeen, and is expected to start at left-back in today’s friendly with Real Betis at Chesterfield.
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