Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry in action. (Getty Images)
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Wolves winning the race to sign this budding 22-year-old Championship ace would be a smart move by Nuno

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Why Wolves should try and win the race for Dael Fry

According to the Birmingham Live, Wolves have been credited with an interest in Middlesbrough defender Dael Fry, with the report suggesting that Nuno Espirito Santo might dip into the January transfer window to bolster his defensive options. 

Wolves, though, aren’t the only Premier League club to have registered an interest in the 22-year-old centre-back, with the Birmingham Live also mentioning the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Man City as potential suitors for the youngster. 

An academy graduate of Middlesbrough, Fry has established himself as one of the mainstays of the club’s backline since the start of the previous campaign, having made his professional bow for his boyhood club back in the 2015-16 season as a prodigious 17-year-old.  

Fry is held in high regard by current Boro manager Jonathan Woodgate, who has entrusted the 22-year-old with the responsibility of leading the club in the Championship this term. 

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The homegrown star has made a total of 70 appearances for the Teessiders in all competitions till date and his rapid evolution into one of the best young centre-backs in the second-tier hasn’t eluded the eyes of the Premier League clubs, with Fry expected to trigger a bidding war in January. 

That he has made a big impression for England at various age-group levels speak volumes of his vast potential. Fry has won the 2014 U-17 European Championship, 2017 U-20 FIFA World Cup and the 2018 U-21 Toulon Tournament with the Young Lions and a move to the top-flight could help him stake a claim for a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s senior international squad.

To put things into perspective, a young and talented centre-back like Dael Fry could be a wonderful long-term investment for any Premier League club but Wolves could do themselves a world of good if they manage to beat off competition for the 22-year-old’s services in January. 

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Despite booking their seats in the group stages of the Europa League, Wolves have made an indifferent start to the campaign in the Premier League, with the Black Country outfit yet to register their first victory six games into the season. 

They were one of the biggest surprise packages in the previous campaign but Nuno Santo will be less than pleased with how things have panned out for his team thus far this term.

Stability at the back was one of the hallmarks of Wolves’ resounding success in the Premier League last season but they have already shipped 11 goals in 6 outings, numbers which are likely to set the alarm bells ringing at Molineux. 

Jesus Vallejo was brought in on loan from Real Madrid earlier in the summer but that move is yet to pay any significant dividends, with the Spaniard yet to fully acclimatise to his new surroundings and hit the ground running. 

Ryan Bennett and Romain Saiss have both been handed opportunities to impress alongside captain Conor Coady at the heart of the defence but Wolves’ backline has creaked far too often for the manager’s liking. 

With that in mind, it would be an excellent idea for Nuno Santo to bolster his backline with some fresh blood in January and someone like Dael Fry ticks all the boxes.

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Standing at 6ft.4 inches with a towering frame, Fry is not only comfortable in possession and an absolute beast in the air but he is also capable of keeping the opposition at bay with his physicality, sharp anticipation and smooth reading of the game. 

Still only 22, the Boro graduate is only going to get better with time and it is pretty easy to see that he would be a perfect recruit for a club like Wolves, who are trying to consolidate on their grand success in the Premier League the last term.