Jonathan Woodgate has claimed that any side interested in Dael Fry would have to pay £30million to sign the defender.

The 22-year-old has established himself as Middlesbrough first choice central defender so far this season and is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the Championship.

Reports from The Sun  have claimed that Burnley are plotting a £10million move for the Teessider - an amount which is well below Middlesbrough's expected asking price.

Middlesbrough are facing something of an injury crisis in defence with Daniel Ayala, Ryan Shotton and George Friend also enduring spells on the sidelines, while Fry also hobbled off during Tuesday night's 1-1 draw with Birmingham City.

But after claiming that his injury wasn't serious, Woodgate addressed reports linking the defender with a move away by saying that a departure is unlikely.

Speaking after the Birminham City clash, Woodgate said: "Dael is not for sale.

"He's not for sale unless someone pays £30m."

Asked whether Boro have received bids for any other players, he said: “There haven’t been bids that I know of, but I’m sure there will be because there are some really good players in there.

"If bids come in, let’s see. We’ve got some really good players, and if I was other managers, I’d be looking at a few of them because a few of them have stepped up this year and been absolutely fantastic. There are a lot of good players."

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The verdict

Middlesbrough are right to hold firm on Dael Fry.

The Teessiders are building a new business model based on developing young players to first team level, and Fry is the latest player to fulfil his potential under Jonathan Woodgate.

There's a sense of realism that the 22-year-old could move to the Premier League sooner rather than later, but the key for the Teessiders is to ensure that they get what they deserve and not a penny less.

Selling Fry on the cheap would be a huge injustice for the job done in developing the player, and providing that Fry doesn't become disillusioned with being 'priced out of a move', then Middlesbrough have every right to hold out for what they deem a respectable value.