Leeds United Are Among The Clubs Hoping To Sign This Middlesbrough Midfielder: Good Choice For Farke? | OneFootball

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, journalist Pete O’Rourke mentioned that Leeds United are among the clubs hoping to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney. O’Rourke said,

“Hayden Hackney’s future is going to be the subject of intense speculation again this summer.

“It was last summer, when he came very close to leaving Middlesbrough before he eventually turned down a move to Ipswich.

“There were a number of clubs looking at him, but Middlesbrough did really well to keep hold of him, and they’ve been really rewarded because Hackney’s been the driving force behind their promotion bid to the Premier League.

“Middlesbrough won’t want to lose Hackney. If they were to win promotion to the Premier League, then they would be quite hopeful that they could keep hold of the England Under-21 midfielder.

“If they don’t win promotion to the Premier League, it’s going to be a real hard battle to keep hold of him. You’ll have Leeds, a lot of other Premier League clubs, (such as) Everton, like Hayden Hackney.

“There’s even been talk that Manchester United could be interested…Fulham are admirers of the player as well.”

Hackney’s Impressive Numbers In The EFL Championship

Hackney has put in a run of solid displays for Middlesbrough in the middle of the park this season. The English talent has registered five goals and earned six assists in 35 matches for his current employers in this campaign so far across all competitions.

MIDDLESBROUGH, ENGLAND – JANUARY 24: Hayden Hackney of Middlesbrough reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Middlesbrough and Preston North End at Riverside Stadium on January 24, 2026 in Middlesbrough, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

His current contract at the Championship club will run out at the end of next season, which could open the door for the Whites to sign him on the cheap next year.

Is Hackney A Good Choice For Leeds United?

Hackney is a good tackler of the ball and can sense the danger well to secure the ball back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when the opposition are on the offensive and is a tidy passer of the ball as well.

The Redcar-born talent is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also operate as a box-to-box midfielder or play in the number ten position if needed.

We can expect Hackney to enhance the quality of Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke’s midfield. He is good enough to compete for a regular first-team spot at Elland Road in the coming seasons.

At 23, Hackney has got a bright future ahead of him, which makes him a decent choice for the West Yorkshire club to consider next summer.