Ex-scout claims Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney is keen on a move to Tottenham Hotspur in January
Tottenham Hotspur backed new boss Thomas Frank well in the summer transfer window, splashing out well over £180million across eight new additions to their squad.
The Lilywhites spent most of the summer in search of a creative midfielder, even before James Maddison’s ACL injury. After missing out on several targets, they managed to address the No.10 position by landing Xavi Simons. To provide protection for the backline, Joao Palhinha arrived on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich.
Palhinha’s impact has been felt with how Spurs have played across two months, both on and off the ball. Such has been the Portuguese enforcer’s influence in Thomas Frank’s team that the north Londoners are looking forward to triggering the buy option in his contract. However, there is clearly a need to bring in another midfielder to replace Yves Bissouma potentially.
If Bissouma is cashed in during the winter transfer window, Tottenham would need a player to keep their midfield depth intact for the crucial second half of the season.
Middlesbrough talent opens door to Tottenham move
One player Spurs missed out on signing in the summer transfer window was Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney. The Englishman came very close to departing Middlesbrough for Ipswich Town in the summer. Both Championship clubs had agreed a deal worth around £20m, but the player rejected a move to Ipswich Town in the 11th hour and decided to continue at the Riverside Stadium.
It was reported back in July that Hayden Hackney considered waiting for Tottenham’s offer after rejecting Ipswich Town move, which eventually did not arrive. Described as ‘hugely talented’ by former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick, the 23-year-old has started the new campaign well and helped his boyhood club to second in the Championship table.
Tottenham have been scouting the Redcar-born talent and been impressed with his performances in the Championship. And former scout Mick Brown has now revealed that Hackney would be keen to join Spurs if the opportunity came up.
“Hackney is going to be on the radar of a lot of clubs,” Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider.
“Whether Boro would be willing to let him go, I’m not sure, but he’s definitely got enough talent and enough about him to make the step up to the Premier League. I’m told Tottenham have been watching him and I expect they’ve been impressed by his performances, so they could be the ones to make a move.
“I still think he has room to improve, but I think he’d be able to go to a team like Tottenham and strengthen their squad and work his way into the starting XI.
“If the opportunity came up for him to go there, whether it’s in January or at the end of the year, it is something he’d be open to. He wanted to make that step up to the Premier League in the summer, so if a club like Tottenham were to come calling I think he’d back himself to make a difference.”
Tottenham must go for Hackney in January
Tottenham recently announced that majority shareholder, the Lewis family trust, has injected £100m of new capital into the club. With the north Londoners often targeting young, hungry and dynamic talents with high potential in recent years, they could opt to reinforce their squad significantly in January.
A move for Hackney, in that regard, would be perfect. Tigerish, technically strong, good engine and a leader, the England under-21 international would be a fantastic option to compete with the current crop of midfielders at White Hart Lane. He can operate as both No.6 and 8, which will give Frank a chance to rest the likes of Palhinha and Bentancur and keep them fresh ahead of some crucial games in the second half of the season.
The 23-year-old is key to Rob Edwards’ plans in Teesside, so it would not be easy to persuade Boro to sell their star in midst of the season. However, as Hackney has opened the door to a move to Spurs, we must take advantage of it and test Boro’s resolve in January with a bid.
