Middlesbrough & Norwich City in €500k transfer tussle for French midfielder | OneFootball

Boro and the Canaries look to be going head-to-head for a potential bargain

The 2026-27 Championship season is not far off from starting, and the clubs that missed out on promotion to the Premier League are trying to strengthen their hands accordingly so that they can compete with the three that have come down from the top flight.

Benefitting from parachute payments, the trio of Wolves, West Ham and Burnley will have a significant edge over their rivals, as well as Southampton having their second and final year of their extra money - despite having a four-point deduction implemented due to the Spygate saga.

Out of the clubs without that added financial help who will be looking to challenge that set of teams for automatic promotion, both Middlesbrough and Norwich City will be up there vying for a spot in the top flight.

Boro missed out under head coach Kim Hellberg after being handed a play-off final spot due to Southampton's misdemeanours despite losing to the Saints over two legs in the semi-final, before then going on to lose to Hull City at Wembley, whilst Norwich fell eight points short of the top six, despite being the third-best team in the league in the final 20 matches of the campaign, winning 41 points in that time.

Now though, ahead of the new season starting, Boro and City look set to battle for a shared transfer target from mainland Europe.

Middlesbrough and Norwich City in transfer tangle for Balthazar Pierret

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According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, reporting for Sky Sport, French midfielder Balthazar Pierret - currently plying his trade for Red Star FC in Ligue 2 - is wanted by both Middlesbrough and Norwich.

Pierret has only been back in his home country since the January transfer window, having made the move from Serie A side Lecce, and he appeared 14 times in the middle of the park for Red Star in the second tier of French football after his arrival, notching one assist in the process.

It is claimed that Boro made the first move for the 26-year-old by offering €300,000 (£255,000) plus a 10 per cent sell-on clause - an offer which was flat out rejected by the Paris-based outfit.

Norwich are also in the mix, with it being claimed that head coach Philippe Clement is actively involved in trying to bring Pierret to Carrow Road to bolster his own midfield unit, and with Red Star reportedly valuing their player at €500,000 (£425,000), it appears a deal is there to be done for whichever club wants to sign him.

Balthazar Pierret is an intriguing potential bargain for the Championship

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After his move to Red Star, Pierret ranked quite high on his tackles and duels won, which suggests he's being looked at as a defensive midfielder by both Championship clubs.

Middlesbrough evidently need new midfielders after not only Hayden Hackney was sold to Everton, but Alan Browne went back to Sunderland after his loan ended - the recruitment of a defensive-minded midfielder like Pierret could be seen as a back-up to Aidan Morris, or perhaps it'll allow the American to venture further forward if a deal gets done.

There may be question marks over Pierret's elegibility for either a GBE work permit or an ESC slot though, given that the rules have tightened up on players over the age of 23, and his three Serie A appearances prior to his move back to France may not quite be enough to gain a work permit.