According to Teesside Live, Middlesbrough chiefs have told Premier League side, Burnley, that defender Dael Fry is not for sale after having a £10 million bid rejected.
The Middlesbrough-born centre-back has been a mainstay in Jonathan Woodgate’s side since returning from injury and has been attracting interest from Burnley.
The Clarets originally bid £8 million in the summer, with Boro rebuffing their initial offer. Sean Dyche’s side has now revisited their approach for the 22-year old, bidding £10 million this week.
However, Boro have told Burnley that their player is ‘not for sale’, and it is easy to see why given the club’s recent defensive injury crisis.
Injuries to first-team defenders Anfernee Dijksteel, Dani Ayala, George Friend and Ryan Shotton has meant Paddy McNair and Jonny Howson have had to fill in at the back, despite being central-midfielders. Dael Fry is the only natural centre-back fit at the club and will want to keep hold of him at all costs.
The report also states that Woodgate sees the youngster as a ‘crucial part of his plans’, and has even been given the captains armband on more than one occasion by the Boro Head Coach, showing his faith in the defender.
Burnley defender Ben Gibson has been reportedly told that he can leave the club this month, and Middlesbrough could be a potential destination. However, a deal between Boro and Burnley for Gibson would not be a factor in Clarets’ pursuit of Fry this transfer window.
When asked about a potential deal for Gibson after the Teessiders’ 1-0 loss at Fulham on Friday, Woodgate replied: “There’s two more weeks to go, let’s see what happens,” giving nothing away.
