Middlesbrough urged to "spend big" to seal transfer coup for 25-goal striker David Strelec | OneFootball

Middlesbrough are interested in 25-goal Slovan Bratislava forward David Strelec.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Middlesbrough have once again expressed an interest in Slovakian striker David Strelec, with Scottish giants Celtic also in the mix.

The 24-year-old, who has been capped 30 times for his country, with seven goals to his name, found the back of the net 25 times in all competitions last term, and Slovakian outlet Sport claims that the Teesiders are keen on adding the forward to their ranks.

It was claimed that the marksman was wanted by Boro in January, with a £9 million bid being turned down from both them and Celtic - he saw out the rest of the season in the Slovakian capital, continuing to fire in the goals.

Middlesbrough urged to go "all out" for Slovan Bratislava forward David Strelec

Speaking to Football League World, FLW's Middlesbrough Fan Pundit Liam Day believes that the club should be going all out to secure the striker's signature.

"He has been my number one striker target since the beginning of the window," Liam told FLW when asked whether Strelec would be worth the big potential outlay.

"I think that he is really talented, he is tall, physical, fast, and has experience at a higher level with Champions League football under his belt.

"I do think we should go all out for it and pursue this one. I feel that now most of the squad is complete, I would be willing to spend big on it.

"It is exactly what we need up front."

David Strelec's goalscoring instinct would bring big boost to Middlesbrough and Rob Edwards

Boro have got off to the perfect start in the Championship under Rob Edwards, with the Teesiders securing a 1-0 win against Swansea on opening day, and then a 3-0 win away at Millwall following a shock EFL Cup exit at the hands of Doncaster Rovers.

As of now, Edwards has both Tommy Conway and Marcus Forss to call upon up-front - the former impressed last season after his move from Bristol City, but the latter has stagnated and can't be seen as a reliable goalscoring option.

Strelec scored 38 goals in the two seasons before 2025/26, and has netted three Champions League goals already this term as Slovan Bratislava were knocked out in the third qualifying round by Kairat, so they may be open to a sale now that they're no longer in Europe's premier competition.

At 24, the Slovakian carries a fantastic goal record, and has the physical attributes to seemingly adapt to the Championship instantly.

Valued at £9 million in January, the fee to bring Strelec in would likely be high for Boro. However, they are in need of a reliable and regular goalscorer following the departure of Emannuel Latte Lath earlier this year.