Why Wolves should plot a summer swoop for Middlesbrough’s Dael Fry

Back in September 2019, TEAMtalk (h/t The Birmingham Mail) had claimed that Wolves were keeping tabs on Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry.

Dael Fry, 22, has impressed for hometown club Middlesbrough since making his debut as a fresh-faced 17-year-old in 2015.

He has made 27 appearances in the Championship this season but it has been a challenging campaign for the 22-year-old, whose consistency has suffered due to the recurrent formation changes in defence from a back three to a back four. At a reasonably young age, the defender has made 95 appearances for Middlesbrough so far.

Meanwhile, Wolves’ preferred centre-back trio of Willy Boly, Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett haven’t performed according to their standards this campaign. Coady hasn’t been able to reproduce his last season’s performances, while Boly has endured an injury-hit 2019/20 campaign at Molineux.

Bennett struggled during the initial months and was surprisingly allowed to leave the club on loan to Leicester City in January.

Due to injury problems and inconsistency at the back, Nuno Espirito Santo has been forced to use Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss as a part of his back three. While Dendoncker and Saiss have impressed in that role, one must not forget that they are both midfielders by trade.

Also, Jesus Vallejo couldn’t live up to the expectations at Molineux as he failed to break into Nuno’s XI, prompting Real Madrid to cut short his loan spell.

It’s very clear that Wolves need defensive reinforcements if they are to win a trophy under Nuno next season. To put things into perspective, signing a young and talented centre-back like Dael Fry would definitely make sense for the Wanderers.

Fry has gained solid experience of Championship football with Middlesbrough. He has made 90 appearances in the Championship so far and that is really good considering the defender is just 22. He has been a vital member of Jonathan Woodgate’s squad this season even though Boro have endured a very disappointing campaign.

The former England U21 international would undoubtedly strengthen Wolves’ defensive unit, whilst bringing depth as well to Nuno’s squad. Fry has shown his ability to perform consistently for Boro since breaking into the first-team and would be a valuable long-term asset to the Black County outfit if he is able to replicate the same form he has shown in the Championship.

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• Why Wolves must attempt to sign Preston’s Ben Davies in the summer

The Englishman has all the qualities to thrive in the Premier League and at just 22 years of age, he has the potential to develop into a solid top-flight centre-back.

Verdict

There’s no doubting that Nuno could help Fry improve his game. The young central defender has a long way to go in his career and a move to Wolves could help him unlock his true potential.