Ashley Fletcher left West Ham United to join Middlesbrough in the summer transfer window. The youngster had a loan spell at Barnsley from Manchester United in 2015-16.
Fletcher moved to Championship club Middlesbrough from Premier League outfit West Ham United in the summer.
According to The Yorkshire Post, Boro, who got relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season, had to pay West Ham a transfer fee of £7 million in order to secure the services of the 22-year-old striker.
The talented and promising young striker failed to make an impact at West Ham following his move in the summer of 2016, but the former Manchester United prospect played well for Barnsley during a loan spell when he was still on the books of the Red Devils.
Fletcher spent the second half of the 2015-16 season on loan at Barnsley, and Tykes manager Heckingbottom has revealed that the youngster asked him for advice before his switch to Middlesbrough on a permanent contract in the summer transfer window.
“I would have loved to sign Ashley,” Heckingbottom told The Yorkshire Post. “But we would have needed massive help from West Ham to get him on loan.
“He actually phoned me and said, “Boro have just bid £7m for me’ and he was still, like, ‘What do I do?’ I said, ‘Get yourself there.’
“That is what we are competing against. We would have loved to have had Fletch back here and I know he would have loved to have come.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
