Middlesbrough’s pursuit of Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain has been hampered by the revelation that he will be attending the club’s pre-season training camp in Spain alongside his teammates.
Almost a month into his stint at the Riverside Stadium, Edwards has not brought in any new senior players, and Boro are one of just three second-tier clubs that have yet to make a deal this summer, behind Leicester City and crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday.
It appeared that this was about to change, with journalist Alan Nixon stating on Friday that the Teesside club is planning to launch a new bid of £3 million plus bonuses for Brittain after their previous £2.5 million offer was rejected.
| Callum Brittain’s 24/25 stats (all comps) – per FotMob | |
| Appearances | 35 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 5 |
However, because no deal for Brittain has been agreed, despite the fact that the player is understood to want to move to Teesside this summer, the 27-year-old will now travel to Spain with the rest of the Blackburn squad on Sunday as the club maintains their valuation of one of its key players.
Middlesbrough encounter a new stumbling block in their pursuit of Blackburn Rovers defender Callum Brittain
Brittain played a significant role last season as Blackburn missed out on the Championship play-offs on the penultimate day of the season, and he is thought to be on Middlesbrough’s radar this summer, as well as Derby County and Wrexham.
As he enters the final year of his current contract at Ewood Park, Brittain has been offered a new term by Rovers, but he has turned it down, and after learning of Boro’s first bid, he requested to be kept out of the team for the pre-season game against Accrington Stanley last Saturday.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over the League Two side, Blackburn head coach Valerien Ismael confirmed that there is strong interest in Brittain, particularly from one club, but he insisted that they would need to increase their offer in order to reach an agreement, and he also warned the defender that he would not let the saga drag on.
“He didn’t accept our offer,” Ismael told the BBC.
“If [the club] wants Callum, they must respond with a greater offer.
I don’t want to see him leave; he’s an important player.
“Callum decided not to play today on his own,” Ismael said.
“I spoke with him, and I stated unequivocally that I will pass this game, but I hope we have clarity by next week because we cannot do that every week. We’ll see what happens in the coming days, but several teams, particularly one, are really interested in Callum.”
Boro appear to be prepared to make an improved bid, but with the two clubs’ values still considered to be different, Brittain played 58 minutes in Rovers’ 1-0 pre-season friendly win over Everton on Saturday.
Blackburn have now confirmed that Brittain will fly to Spain with the rest of the squad for a week-long pre-season training camp, where they will face Qatar SC and Elche, potentially delaying Boro’s ambitions to recruit the former Barnsley player.
Middlesbrough may face further Callum Brittain angst following Blackburn Rovers’ expose
Ismael made it clear that the transfer controversy involving Brittain would not interrupt Blackburn’s pre-season preparations, and it appears that the Frenchman has kept his promise by including the defender in the group for the trip to Spain.
It is possible that negotiations between Rovers and Middlesbrough will continue over the next week, but the transfer will be difficult to complete while Brittain is not in the country, and the latest delay is a major setback for Edwards, who needs a new right-back before the season begins.
Boro have been connected with a move for Swansea City defender Josh Key, but if they are failing to reach Brittain’s appraisal, it is unlikely that they will be willing to pay the enormous £5 million sum the Welsh club is reportedly requesting for the 25-year-old. As a result, Middlesbrough’s quest for a right-back appears to be extending well into the summer.
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