Losing this key 21-year-old in January would seriously derail Middlesbrough’s chances of getting promoted

Why Middlesbrough must hold onto Dael Fry in January

As per a report from TEAMtalk, Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry is attracting serious interest from Scottish champions Celtic. In addition to the Scottish giants, a number of Premier League clubs like Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Chelsea and Bournemouth are also on the lookout for a move.

The 21-year-old Fry came through Middlesbrough’s highly-rated youth academy and made his senior debut aged just 17 back in 2015.

Having made 8 first-team appearances over the course of the 2015/16 campaign, the Englishman went out on loan to Rotherham United for the first half of the 2016/17 season. He made 10 appearances for the Millers, before returning to Boro. Having been a regular rotation player last year, he has finally locked down a place in Tony Pulis’ side in the ongoing term.

So far in the 2018/19 season, Fry has featured 13 times in the Championship and chipped in with three assists, playing an integral role in the Teessiders’ successes. In the 13 league games that he has featured, Boro have conceded just 7 goals.

The 21-year-old has represented the England national team at all youth levels and has won the U17 European Championship and the FIFA U20 World Cup with the Three Lions. Currently a part of the U21 setup, he has featured 10 times for the team, scoring two goals.

Standing at 6ft 4in, the youngster is an imposing presence in the defence and his tall stature makes him an indirect set-piece threat in the opposition box as well. Primarily a centre-back, Fry can also play at right-back as he has done on several occasions this term and has given a good account in the full-back slot as well.

A sound and solid defender, the 21-year-old has the ball-playing attributes that teams look for in a central defender nowadays and is a decent dribbler and passer.

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It is quite clear by the way he has developed and progressed in recent years that Fry is meant for bigger and better things. The England U21 international has been integral to Middlesbrough’s promotion push this season and given that he just 21, the defender will only get better and better from here on. And as a result, it would not bode well for the Teesside outfit to lose him at this juncture.