‘I’d be fuming’ – Middlesbrough reaction given as ‘disgraceful’ transfer demand made | OneFootball

FLW’s Boro fan pundit has commented on links to Leicester City midfielder Oliver Skipp.

Middlesbrough will be preparing for another shot at Premier League glory during the 2026-27 season.

Kim Hellberg’s men will be aiming to put their gut-wrenching play-off final defeat to Hull City behind them and be back in promotion contention next term, with the Teesside outfit entering their 10th straight campaign of Championship football.

However, they will have to continue to have a squad of players that have both the stamina and quality to be situated towards the top of the table after 46 games.

That is already being put to the test as Boro prepare for the exit of star midfielder Hayden Hackney, who is set to live his Premier League dream with Everton, departing the Riverside Stadium for a reported fee of £25m.

With his exit imminent, Middlesbrough are understandably in the market for a dynamic central midfielder, and have recorded interest in Leicester City midfielder Oliver Skipp, who is set to exit the King Power Stadium following the Foxes shock relegation to League One.

However, a report by The Telegraph’s John Percy has revealed that Leicester have demanded £15m for the 25-year-old, a figure Boro are put off by.

Leicester seem keen to get as much money as possible for their rebuild in the third tier under Russell Martin, but it does seem a steep figure for a player who has been part of consecutive relegations in the East Midlands.

With this in mind, FLW’s Middlesbrough fan pundit has had his say on Boro’s links to Skipp and whether the club should be accepting Leicester’s £15m demand.

£15m Leicester City demand for Oliver Skipp branded ‘disgraceful’

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Speaking to Football League World, Middlesbrough fan pundit Liam Day has urged Boro to avoid a ‘disgraceful’ £15m demand by Leicester City for midfielder Oliver Skipp, insisting he wouldn’t bring the right attributes to a Kim Hellberg side.

Liam told FLW: “The Oliver Skipp fee is just disgraceful, to be honest with you. I’d be fuming if Boro paid £5m for him, let alone adding another £10m on top of it.

“I don’t think he’s a very good player, he’s not had many good seasons in his career, and obviously he’s been a part of back-to-back relegations.

“He was meant to be a key part in the Leicester team and failed miserably. He doesn’t match any of the abilities I think Kim Hellberg would want in a midfielder, he’s not similar to Hayden Hackney.

“He’s not the best passer, he’s OK at sweeping up the ball but nothing special, so for that price tag, I don’t even know how they’ve managed to come up with that.

“I hope we go nowhere near it, and we move on to other targets who go on to suit our system better because that’s disgraceful.”

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It’s safe to say Leicester City’s demand of £15m for Oliver Skipp is bizarre, with the Foxes in no position to demand such extortionate prices when dropping into League One and in desperate need of cash.

Skipp’s career has declined ever since he moved to the King Power Stadium, and his inability to prevent Leicester from back-to-back relegations shows he is nowhere near worth the price that the Foxes want for him.

It is unlikely any Championship club would spend that amount to secure Skipp’s services either, so an established second tier side like Middlesbrough without the addition of Premier League parachute payments should not be making such a ridiculous bid.

There’s plenty of alternative targets Boro could go for at a cheaper price that could be assets at Championship level, so at this moment, it appears a deal is dead in the water.

While Boro can go big on a midfield target due to the impending exit of Hayden Hackney for a sizeable fee, Skipp should not be towards the top of the shortlist, with the club blowing a chance to attract a big Championship name that could make the difference in their quest for promotion.