Middlesbrough field top-flight bid for first-team player | OneFootball

Trabzonspor have made an offer to Middlesbrough for midfielder Dan Barlaser.

Trabzonspor have made an offer to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Dan Barlaser as they look to strengthen their squad ahead of the new season.

The 27-year-old joined Boro in the January window back in 2023, and he has gone on to make 45 Championship appearances for the club, including 33 in the previous campaign, as Michael Carrick’s side missed out on a play-off place.

Whilst this window is going to be about improving the group for Carrick, it appears he could face a battle to keep hold of Barlaser, as there is interest in the ex-Rotherham man.

Trabzonspor make Dan Barlaser offer

That’s after Turkish media outlet 61 Saat revealed that Trabzonspor had lodged a bid for Barlaser, as they try to bring the player to Turkey.

It’s unclear just how much Boro have been offered for Barlaser, but the update does state that the Super Lig outfit have been in discussions with the midfielder and his representatives.

They add that it’s expected to be a very busy window for Trabzonspor, with Rangers duo Borna Barisic and John Lundstram in line to join the club when their respective deals at Ibrox expire later this month.

Boro were believed to have paid around £1.5m to sign Barlaser almost 18 months ago, so they would be sure to want a profit before they considered cashing in on someone who remains a valuable member of the squad.

Dan Barlaser may be open to Turkish adventure

The chance to make the move to Turkey is sure to appeal to Barlaser, as Trabzonspor are a huge club in the country, and they finished third last season, which means they will be playing in the Europa League next season.

An opportunity to play at that level is something that Barlaser may not have thought was possible at points in his career, so he may feel it’s difficult to turn down.

He also represented Turkey at youth level, so he has Turkish heritage due to his Dad, but he last pulled on a shirt for their national team as an U17 player.

Middlesbrough’s summer transfer plans

This is likely to have come as a surprise to Middlesbrough, as Barlaser was probably not the player they would’ve been expecting to field offers for this summer.

Like all in the squad, he will have a price tag, and if Trabzonspor meet that figure, an agreement will be reached. Otherwise, they will look to keep him, and with Barlaser under contract at the Riverside Stadium until the summer of 2026, they’re under no real pressure to sell in the coming weeks.

From Carrick’s perspective, he will be focused on how he can make the squad better.

After reaching the play-offs in his first season after joining, the reality is that the quality in the squad dipped after the likes of Ryan Giles, Chuba Akpom and Cameron Archer all left.

So, it’s about getting in players of that calibre if possible this summer, and there will be an expectation at Middlesbrough that they are in the mix for the play-offs next season.