Middlesbrough have enjoyed a steady start to the season under new boss Jonathan Woodgate, with Boro picking up two wins, three draws and three losses from their first eight games, yielding a points return of nine from a possible 24 up for grabs this campaign. 

As reported by Gazettelive.co.uk, one particular player who has attracted admiring glances from the Premier League is 22 year-old centre back Dael Fry, who has displayed great form for the club this season, in what is his fifth season for the club since breaking through to the first team after graduating from the club's academy.

And now Boro boss Woodgate has been questioned regarding this perceived interest in one of his star assets during his press conference ahead of Saturday's Championship clash with Sheffield Wednesday, and the rumours were quickly brushed off by Woodgate who told Gazettelive.co.uk:

“That (the Premier League) is an ambition for Dael, you read a lot of speculation linking a lot of players with a lot of clubs, that's what it is at this minute, it's speculation.

"Let's wait until January to see what happens."

A calm and relaxed answer from Woodgate that suggests the Boro boss is aware of the speculation but is still sticking with the mindset that Fry is a Middlesbrough player until a club pay's their asking price, meaning that the Championship club hold all the power at until that event does or does not take place.

This will no doubt come as a blow for Tottenham, with Gazettelive.co.uk reporting that Spurs are one of a quartet of interested clubs that are currently analysing a move for 22 year-old come January, with one of the main factors attracting potential suitors likely to be Fry's ability to play with the ball at his when stepping out from defence, a trait of his game that is reflected by WhoScored.com's statistics which list key passes as one of the player's strengths.

The Verdict

A lot of people would see this as an early blow for Spurs in their perceived quest to secure the young Boro centre half, however it would not be surprising to see the Premier League team make an approach come January, particularly with Fry fitting perfectly into Tottenham's style of play which is based upon possession football that encourages the use of short passes to control the game in the opposition's half.

Furthermore with Vertonghen and Alderweireld both now aged 32 and 30 respectively, Spurs may see Fry as the perfect successor for the club slawarts, particularly as he would fall into the category of home grown players, which is a rule that Premier League clubs are becoming even more wary off when making new acquisitions to their squads.

Lastly, it remains to be seen whether Pochettino will prioritise strengthening his defence during the winter window, particularly with Spurs badly needing another striker to reduce the scoring burden that is currently put on Harry Kane.