Why David Strelec's Middlesbrough exit really broke down | OneFootball

PAOK's failure to qualify for Europe impacted their chances of signing Middlesbrough's David Strelec, who was a target for the Greek side.

PAOK’s failure to qualify for the Europa Conference League impacted their bid to sign Middlesbrough’s David Strelec, with the forward set to stay at the Riverside Stadium until January at least.

The Slovakia international joined Boro from Slovan Bratislava last year in what was a big-money deal for the Championship side, who paid an initial £6.5m for the attacker.

However, Strelec endured a difficult first season in English football, as he scored just eight times in 35 games.

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Details emerge on PAOK’s transfer pursuit of Middlesbrough’s David Strelec

Strelec didn’t always convince under Kim Hellberg, so with Boro splashing out to sign Will Lankshear in the summer, game time was always going to be hard for Strelec to come by this season.

Therefore, it had been reported that Strelec could move on, and there were suggestions that PAOK had agreed personal terms with the player earlier in the window.

Yet, a move didn’t materialise, and with the Greek window ending on Wednesday night, Strelec will not be leaving Boro right now.

And, in a fresh development, Teesside Live has revealed that missing out on European football proved to be a significant obstacle to PAOK getting a deal done.

They were seemingly reliant on the cash that playing in Europe would’ve brought to the club, but PAOK were beaten in the Conference League by Norwegian outfit Brann over two legs.

David Strelec has had a slow start to the 2026/27 season with Middlesbrough

With the window now shut, Strelec can now focus on Middlesbrough, but it’s fair to say he has had a difficult first month of the season.

The 25-year-old has made just two appearances in the Championship, which were both as a sub with minutes to go as Boro chased goals.

Having said that, Strelec did suffer an injury that meant he missed a chunk of pre-season, so he is playing catch-up in terms of his fitness.

But, with Lankshear having excelled since his arrival from Tottenham, it’s going to be very difficult for Strelec to earn a place in the XI on a regular basis.

David Strelec can still have a role to play for Middlesbrough this season

Nevertheless, Hellberg knows it’s a squad game, and he has called Strelec a ‘brilliant footballer’ in the past, so he clearly recognises the quality that the ex-Spezia man has.

Over the course of the season, the Boro squad will be tested, so Strelec will be given chances over the coming months, and the upcoming international break could be a chance for him to fully get up to speed in terms of fitness.

As well as that, it’s far too soon to write Strelec off, as the Championship is a very difficult league, so the striker will have learned a lot in terms of adapting to the demands during his first season at the club.

So, whilst he has underwhelmed, there is still time for Strelec to turn things around at Boro, and he will hope to play a part in their promotion push this season.