Middlesbrough may have ended their pursuit of full-back Callum Brittain as reports suggest they are interested in another Championship regular.
Rob Edwards’ side have been frequently linked with the Blackburn Rovers star as he looks for a way out at Ewood Park, but recent developments have seen the Lancashire side hold firm on their valuation for the former Barnsley man. With Teesside Live reporting Boro are still yet to reach that valuation for Brittain, a new revelation has emerged which may see another player become their number one target.
£5 Million Tag For Key
According to Alan Nixon via his Sunday Patreon posts, Swansea City‘s Josh Key has emerged as a new target for Middlesbrough, with the move for Brittain stalling. It is suggested that The Jacks value their right-back at £5 million, meaning a hefty price will be paid in order to secure their man.
Key has been a crucial figure for Swansea since arriving from Exeter City in 2023, and has played 78 times for the South Wales club. He played in all but one of their Championship games last season under both Luke Williams and Alan Sheehan as they headed to a mid-table finish.
Defence has been a key target area for Edwards since arriving on Teesside as Michael Carrick’s replacement. With Anfernee Dijksteel’s departure, a new right-back has been highly sought after, but a move for central defender Alfie Jones from Hull City has been mooted, but they face heavy competition from Wrexham for his signature.
Just one permanent transfer has been made by Middlesbrough this summer, with Owen Foster joining from the Tigers on a one-year, free transfer deal.
Writers’ View
With the move for Callum Brittain stalling amid his own standoff with Blackburn, Middlesbrough seem to be seeing what other options they have on the market and an ambitious swoop for Josh Key seems to be their next option. A £5 million fee however, may be too steep for them to match, with Swansea clearly valuing the 25-year-old’s contributions so far. Under Alan Sheehan, The Jacks seem to be on a very promising trajectory, including their off-field moves in new ownership partners, so breaking up their squad may hurt their chances next season. Boro now seem to be priced out of two possible moves, so whether they hunt for a new alternative or bite the bullet and fork out a big fee for either Brittain or Key remains to be seen though.
