Newcastle United are reportedly interested in signing Middlesbrough’s 24-year-old centre-back, Dael Fry.
According to Calciomercato, as part of their rebuild under new owners, Newcastle United have identified Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry as a potential centre-back signing. Eddie Howe has a massive summer transfer window ahead of him as the Magpies enter a new era with Saudi-based ownership.
Fry is a Middlesbrough academy product and made the step up to the senior side in 2015. After a year with the first team, the defender was sent on a year-long loan to Rotherham United, where he made just ten league appearances.
After his return to Middlesbrough, he took a couple of seasons to nail down a starting spot and hasn’t looked back since. Fry has been a mainstay in the club’s defence since the 2018/19 season and has only grown in stature.
The centre-back was especially impressive in Middlesbrough’s FA Cup fifth-round win over Tottenham earlier this month, where he kept Harry Kane quiet throughout the game. The 24-year-old has also been crucial in Middlesbrough’s push for a playoff spot this season.
The Teessiders currently occupy the sixth and final playoff spot in the Championship table but can jump up to fourth if they win their match in hand. If they eventually manage to return to the English top-flight next season, they could be well-positioned to convince Fry to stay at the club.
As far as Newcastle are concerned, they have identified the Englishman as a realistic and relatively cheaper alternative to other centre-back targets in the market. The Magpies have been impressed by Fry’s performances this season and could move for him in the summer.
In the January window, the Tyneside outfit signed Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Matt Targett and Dan Burn, and look set to add more firepower in the summer. Newcastle United were flirting with relegation midway through the league this season, but the January signings have provided some much-needed impetus. They are now 14th on the table, seven points off the relegation zone.
With safety in the Premier League looking very likely, a big summer awaits the Magpies. Though their new owners are ready to inject cash, they may not be able to sign Europe’s best with no Champions League football on offer. Nevertheless, Fry seems like a realistic option for Newcastle. Some other Premier League sides like Leeds and West Ham United have reportedly shown interest in the defender as well.
Having seemingly lost out to AC Milan in the race for Sven Botman, Howe will be hoping that they do not end up with the same fate in pursuit of the Middlesbrough mainstay come summer.
