Middlesbrough will demand a fee of around £25million for the sale of centre back Dael Fry amid growing interest from Burnley, a report from a print edition of The Sun (23/02, p63) has claimed.

A graduate of Middlesbrough's academy, Fry has gone on to establish himself as a key figure in the Championship side's starting lineup in recent years, making a total of 96 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Now however, it appears as though Fry's future at the Riverside Stadium could be up in the air, with the latest reports claiming that 'Boro have now placed that significant asking price on the 22-year-old as they look to cash in on a key asset.

It is also thought that the Championship side could insert a number of clauses into any deal that is agreed for Fry, further increasing their potential profit from this transfer.

However, it has also been suggested that Burnley - who reportedly had an £8million bid for Fry rejected last summer - will only offer half of the £25million 'Boro are demanding for the 22-year-old.

There are currently three-and-a-half years remaining on Fry's contract with Middlesbrough, securing his future at the Riverside Stadium until the end of the 2022/23 season, and putting 'Boro in a strong position to negotiate any offer that may come in for the defender.

The Verdict

This is an interesting one.

£25million would be a brilliant fee for Middlesbrough to receive for Fry, and would certainly provide them with the funds they need to replace the young centre back.

However, you do have to wonder whether any top-flight teams will be willing to pay that fee for a player who has never been tested in the Premier League, which would make that something of a financial risk.

It will also be intriguing to see what Fry himself makes of this, since he may not be too happy about potentially being priced out of the chance of securing the proverbial dream move to the Premier League.