Ipswich Town are keen to sign versatile Middlesbrough player Hayden Coulson on a season-long loan, we understand.

The 23-year-old has made 46 appearances in the Championship for his boyhood club over the last two seasons, but finds himself out of Neil Warnock's plans.

A former England U18 international, the quick and energetic youngster is primarily an attack-minded left-back but is also capable of playing as a winger or a No.10.

The Gateshead-born player had two senior loan spells in 2018/19.

First, he made 10 starts and one sub appearance at relegation-battling Scottish Premier League side St Mirren. Then, he went to relegation-battling League Two club Cambridge United and made six starts and eight sub appearances.

That first season of men’s football saw Coulson elevated into Boro’s first team at the start of 2019/20.

Jonathan Woodgate put him straight into the starting line-up for the Friday night televised Championship curtain-raiser at Luton, a game that finished 3-3.

He finished that breakthrough season having made 21 starts and nine substitute appearances and was named the club's Young Player of the Year.

Coulson’s opportunities were restricted under the management of Warnock last season though, with Marc Bola and Marvin Johnson preferred on the left side.

The youngster made seven starts and 12 sub appearances in 2020/21 - two of those starts in the cups and two more being end of season dead rubbers as Boro finished 10th.

East Anglian Daily Times: Hayden Coulson struggled for game time under Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock last season. Photo: PAHayden Coulson struggled for game time under Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock last season. Photo: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Ipswich released veteran left-back Stephen Ward at the end of last season, while Myles Kenlock could follow him out the exit door having started pre-season training with the Under-23s.

Town have signed one left-back so far this summer, snapping up Matt Penney following his release by Sheffield Wednesday.

In total the Blues, who start their pre-season campaign at Dartford on Saturday, have signed six players this window in goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky, right-sider Wes Burns, left-sided Penney, midfield duo Lee Evans and Rekeem Harper, and striker Macauley Bonne.