Middlesbrough & Charlton Athletic interested in Barnsley star - £5m claim has been issued | OneFootball

According to reports, both Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough are interested in a move for Barnsley forward Davis Keillor-Dunn

Championship duo Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic both hold an interest in Barnsley's Davis Keillor-Dunn, who will command a significant multi-million pound asking price amid a potential departure from Oakwell this summer.

According to a report from the Barnsley Chronicle published on Friday morning, the second-tier pair have expressed recent interest in Keillor-Dunn's signature as they look to prise him away after just one season with the Tykes.

Charlton are intent on bolstering the squad available at the disposal of popular manager Nathan Jones, who recently penned a stunning five-year contract in South London after guiding the Addicks back to the Championship via the League One play-offs and have so far added Sonny Carey to the ranks from Blackpool.

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, are embarking on a new era following the dismissal of Michael Carrick.

The Teessiders will have every intention of establishing themselves in the promotion reckoning ahead of the 2025/26 Championship campaign after falling short of a play-off finish last time out, and are closing in on the appointment of ex-Luton Town boss Rob Edwards.

Although Charlton and Middlesbrough could potentially be competing at opposing ends of the second-tier table next term, they both appear to be in the same market this summer and may be set to battle it out for a move for Keillor-Dunn.

The versatile forward spent time with Middlesbrough's academy in his youth before starting his senior career north of the border at Ross County, and has found form over the last few years with the likes of Oldham Athletic, Mansfield Town and Barnsley after failing to make the grade in Scotland.

Middlesbrough and Charlton interested in Barnsley's Davis Keillor-Dunn amid £5m transfer claim

As per the aforementioned report, Charlton and Middlesbrough both share a recent interest in Keillor-Dunn, who enjoyed an impressive debut campaign with Barnsley after joining from Mansfield last summer.

From 45 appearances, Keillor-Dunn recorded 18 goals and a further seven assists as Barnsley finished the campaign in 12th position, with the 27-year-old finding the back of the net on 19 occasions across all competitions.

Naturally, Barnsley will only be looking to sanction a sale of their prized asset at a significant price, and are helped by the fact he remains under contract in South Yorkshire for another three years.

Any potential departure for Keillor-Dunn still looks to be some way off completion, with the report stating that as of earlier this week, no bids have yet arrived for his services.

It's also said that Barnsley are currently holding out for a multi-million-pound deal in a similar region to the club's highest-ever sales. Barnsley have previously collected £5 million for the likes of Marc Roberts and Alfie Mawson, and are reportedly looking to collect a similar fee for Keillor-Dunn.

Charlton Athletic may not be able to beat Middlesbrough to Barnsley's Davis Keillor-Dunn

If Barnsley are indeed demanding a fee in the region of £5 million, Charlton could see themselves priced out of a deal for the sought-after attacker this summer.

They would have to make Keillor-Dunn their club-record signing, eclipsing the long-standing record figure of £4.75 million for Jason Euell while they were in the Premier League all the way back in 2001, and Charlton simply do not have those sort of finances right now.

The Addicks operate on a more modest budget these days, and coming up from League One instead of competing towards the higher echelons of the Championship like Middlesbrough means they may not be able to compete on a financial front.