Middlesbrough: Boro want to sign Emil Riis from Preston

MIDDLESBROUGH have held discussions over Emil Riis, but Preston are adamant they will not be allowing the Danish striker to leave Deepdale unless their full valuation is met.

Having shelved their interest in Jorgen Strand Larsen because of what they deem to be unrealistic demands from Groningen, Boro’s recruitment team have turned their attention to Riis in the last couple of days.

There is understood to have been a formal approach to the Preston hierarchy over the 24-year-old, who scored 20 goals in all competitions last season and netted twice against Boro on the final day of the campaign.

Boro boss Chris Wilder regards Riis as the ‘number nine’ he has been looking to recruit all summer, and is keen to add the former Derby County trainee to the ranks despite having already signed Marcus Forss and Matthew Hoppe.

However, Preston value Riis at more than £10m, and are determined to extract the maximum possible value from arguably their most saleable asset.

The Lilywhites issued a statement via social media this morning stating they had not received an acceptable offer for any of their players, and while Riis was not mentioned by name, the ongoing interest from Boro is understood to have been the catalyst for their public response.

Tellingly, however, they spoke of ‘not receiving an acceptable offer’ rather than stating that Riis was not for sale.

Preston’s statement said: “The club are aware of rumours in the public domain regarding offers for one or more of our players.

“We have not currently received any acceptable offers for any of our players. Should this position change, the club will make a statement at that time.”

Riis joined Preston from Danish club Randers in October 2020 for a reported fee of £1.35m, and is contracted to Deepdale until the summer of 2025.

Preston are in a strong position when it comes to negotiating over his future, although it was perhaps telling that Riis was a substitute for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Luton, having started the club’s two previous league games.

Tall, athletic and aerially-proficient, the striker would appear to be ideally suited to the system Wilder wants to play at the Riverside.

He proved his goalscoring credentials last season, and would bolster a Boro attack that remains short of numbers despite the addition of Forss and Hoppe and the return of Chuba Akpom following his loan spell at PAOK Salonika.