Scottish Premiership champions Celtic reportedly wanted Dael Fry – now Middlesbrough’s star centre-back is well out of their price-range.
Everything you could possibly want from a young centre-back can be found in the 6ft 4ins frame of young Dael Fry.
Middlesbrough’s local lad made good is a defender built for the modern age. He’s not only strong and aggressive but composed and intelligent too. And, at the age of 22, he has already captained his boyhood club.
Perhaps Jonathan Woodgate, a fine centre-half himself during a career which took him from Leeds to Real Madrid to Tottenham, said it best.
“Dael Fry is a special player – I’d say he’s the most valuable player at the football club, worth the most money,” Boro’s fresh-faced boss told the Northern Echo in September. “In the future, I see him being a full England international.”
With 44 caps for the Three Lions at youth level under his belt, Fry is already well on the way to making Woodgate’s prediction a reality. And, speaking of money, a player who already seems to have it all has seen his market value rise significantly since the season began.
‘Special player’
Speaking on Tuesday night, Woodgate claimed that Middlesbrough would only consider cashing in on their prized asset should an offer of £30 million arrive.
With that in mind, any hope Celtic were harbouring of bringing Fry to Parkhead appear to have been eroded away by a series of commanding performances in England’s second tier – not to mention during Middlesbrough’s hard-fought FA Cup defeat to Tottenham this month, in which Fry stepped up to the plate noticeably.
TEAMtalk reported in late 2018 that the champions of Scotland were keeping tabs on the Boro-born number six. These days, some 18 months on, Celtic would have to be willing to triple their transfer record to even get Middlesbrough around the table.
Neil Lennon’s side are crying out for one more centre-back, with Jozo Simunovic stuck on the treatment table and Jack Hendry’s miserable spell coming to a merciful end. But it seems that Fry is simply no longer a viable option. In fact, he has been out of their price-range for some time.
Excellent in the air, strong in the tackle, a classy distributor and a natural-born leader too, there aren’t many attributes missing from Fry’s game. Unfortunately for Celtic, the only way the could afford him now is if his trajectory takes a dramatic and unexpected dip.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
