Middlesbrough told to 'cash in' on £6.5m star as new exit threat arises | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has given his verdict on the transfer situation surrounding David Strelec

Middlesbrough forward David Strelec has emerged as a potential transfer target for Spanish side Getafe.

It was reported by Alan Nixon that the 25-year-old is attracting interest after just one season with the Championship side.

The Slovakian contributed eight goals and one assist from 32 appearances in the league for the Teesside outfit in 2025/26.

However, he was not selected in the squad for the club’s opening day victory against Lincoln City last weekend.

This has further fuelled speculation that he could potentially leave the Riverside after just one year.

Strelec has previously played for Italian sides Reggina and Spezia, and has a contract with Boro until June 2030.

Middlesbrough have win/win David Strelec situation

Action Images

When asked what he would do with Strelec amid interest from Getafe, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day claimed that there are merits to both arguments related to his future.

He believes the forward offers a lot of useful qualities to the squad, and that he had a good pre-season, but also he may not be a good fit for what Kim Hellberg wants from his forward options.

“I think you can see that there’s definitely a player in there in David Strelec,” Day told Football League World.

“You know he’s showed a bit of quality, physically as a hold-up striker, but I just don’t think he suits the way Kim Hellberg wants to play.

“I think he wants fast, energetic and agile players throughout his attacking line, and I’m not sure Strelec does offer that.

“But then you look at the pre-season he had and it looked quite good, to be honest.

“He started scoring goals, and that’s what you want from your striker, that’s the main thing really.”

Day is confident that this is a win/win situation for the club, as they will have a good forward option if he stays, and his sale would generate funds that could also be reinvested back into the first team squad.

“But yeah, I think either way for Boro you can see the positives,” he continued.

“If we cash in, we can get a bit of money and reinvest in the squad, and that’s what I hope we would do, and it seems like we would do.

“But if we keep him, I still think there’s a quality player in there, so I still think we keep a player that can definitely still make a difference to our season.

“So, I think either way, it’s a win for Boro, to be honest with you.”

It was reported last year that Middlesbrough paid £6.5 million, with an additional £2 million potentially owed in add-ons to sign Strelec.

It remains to be seen whether Boro could recoup this fee for the forward, whose last appearance for the club came in the play-off final.

Hellberg’s side lost 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to Hull City, missing out on the chance to earn promotion to the Premier League.

David Strelec’s impact for Middlesbrough

Strelec made his Middlesbrough debut on 13 September last year, and scored in his second ever match for the club in a 2-1 win against West Brom.

The forward also bagged goals against Hull City, QPR, Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Watford and Wrexham.

The 25-year-old had a combined expected goals and expected assists (xG+xA) of 0.50 in the Championship, taking 2.24 shots and creating 0.88 chances per 90 (all stats from Fotmob).

Strelec proved excellent at holding onto the ball, only being dispossessed 0.78 times each game, which lended itself to his hold-up style of play.

However, he wasn’t a big contributor defensively, nor was he strong in duels or aerial duels, winning 23 per cent and 32.4 per cent of each, respectively.

Action Images

Middlesbrough can cash in on David Strelec for the right price

If Getafe make an offer that allows Boro to recoup the fee paid to sign Strelec last summer, then it would be a good opportunity to move him on.

There’s no doubt that he offers something different to Hellberg’s side, but he isn’t really a tactical fit and that is an issue.

It is a bit of a win/win situation in many respects, as he can still contribute in games where Middlesbrough are chasing a game-changing goal.

But his game time is likely to be limited, so now might be the best chance to earn a good fee for him in a sale, as his value could plummet if he’s not playing regularly.