MIDDLESBROUGH will rekindle their interest in Ryan Giles this summer in an attempt to bring the defender back to Teesside.

While Boro currently have both Alex Bangura and Lukas Engel as left-back options, the position has been identified as an area the Championship promotion hopefuls want to strengthen this summer.

Giles enjoyed a hugely successful loan spell at the Riverside two seasons ago, making 45 league appearances and claiming 11 assists – the joint-highest in the Championship – as Boro made the play-offs.

The Teessiders tried to sign him at the end of his loan deal from Wolves, but while they made what they regarded to be an appealing offer, Giles instead opted to move to newly-promoted Luton Town.

Things did not work out at Kenilworth Road in the first half of last season, with the 24-year-old dropping out of first-team contention, and he joined Hull City on loan during the January window - with the Tigers having an obligation to make that deal permanent this summer for £4m.

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Hull's previous boss Liam Rosenior was a big fan of Giles, who made 17 appearances for the Tigers in the second half of the season, but it's not clear at this stage whether the wing-back will feature in the plans of new head coach Tim Walter.

Hull's ambitious owner Acun Ilcali wants promotion but said this week his spending will be restricted this summer due to profitability and sustainability rules. He still expects to be able to fork out up to £15m and wants five loan players.

Whether or not Giles features in Walter’s plans remains to be seen, but Boro are hoping to exploit the uncertainty by setting up a deal of their own for the left-back.

Ideally, the Boro hierarchy would like to engineer an initial loan deal, with a view to a permanent transfer further down the line.

Giles is known to have thoroughly enjoyed his season on Teesside, where he built up a strong relationship with both Boro head coach Michael Carrick and first-team coach Jonathan Woodgate.

The pair are keen to set up a return, with Giles’ attacking runs down the left-hand side having been a major part of Boro’s strong form throughout much of the 2022-23 campaign.

Bangura and Engel both signed last summer after Boro had missed out on Giles. Hayden Coulson, Boro's other senior left-back, is expected to leave the club on a permanent deal this summer, with Blackpool keen on the 25-year-old after his successful loan spell at Bloomfield Road.