Exclusive: Fulham plot Hayden Hackney move after Middlesbrough scouting missions | OneFootball

Fulham are mulling over a move for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney having watched him multiple times this season, FLW understands.

Fulham are plotting a move for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney having watched him multiple times this season, Football League World has exclusively been informed.

The Rob Edwards revolution on Teesside is well underway.

Middlesbrough sit four points clear at the top of the Championship heading into their eighth game of the season at home to Stoke City this evening, with many Smoggies starting to believe that this could finally be the year their almost decade-long Premier League exile ends.

Indeed, there have been many beneficiaries of Edwards' appointment so far this term, but one of the main protagonists behind Boro's success on the pitch so far this season has been Hackney.

Fulham preparing Hayden Hackney transfer move after Middlesbrough scouting missions

Football League World has exclusively been informed that Fulham are plotting a move for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney.

We've been told that the Cottagers have already watched him on several occasions this season, and appear to like what they've seen.

Transfer interest in the 23-year-old central midfielder is nothing new, however, as Boro were able to navigate through a summer window that saw a host of clubs all vying for his signature.

It looks as though it was Ipswich Town who came the closest, as the Tractor Boys had agreed what would've been a Championship-record fee worth £20m with a sell-on fee for the England youth international, but after visiting Portman Road, Hackney would ultimately turn down a move to Suffolk.

Manchester United, Wolves, West Ham United, Everton and Crystal Palace respectively were all among the Premier League clubs touted with a move for him over the summer, whilst the likes of Liverpool, Spurs and Newcastle United have all been credited with a strong interest in the past too.

However, Middlesbrough stood firm on their transfer stance regarding their prized academy graduate, making it clear that he was not for sale as the final days of the summer window approached.

That's despite a report from journalist Pete O'Rourke that Hackney himself had informed Boro that it was his desire to seek a Premier League transfer away from the Riverside Stadium if an offer arrived for him.

Hackney is contracted to Middlesbrough until the summer of 2027.

Middlesbrough keeping Hayden Hackney is vital to promotion chances - Fulham could make sense for him though

Hackney is certainly in the conversation of being the best central midfielder in the Championship at this moment in time.

Boro's number seven is a box-to-box, progressive passing, chance-creating phenom at second tier level, whilst is also a player who still has plenty of room for further growth in both the attacking and defensive sides of his game.

Therefore, it was a surprise to many that Middlesbrough were able to retain his services beyond the summer transfer window, especially after their 10th-placed finish last term and a changing of the guard in the dugout seemed like a prime opportunity to hand Edwards with a huge cash injection to fund his Riverside rebuild.

However, instead of taking this particular brick out of the wall, Edwards has continued to view Hackney as a cornerstone piece to the team he's building on Teesside, and evidently, so do the club.

As such, with Boro flying high at the top of the Championship, with a team and a new tactical approach extracting big improvements, it's looking like it really could be a memorable season for Middlesbrough.

But if they wish to be toasting the return of top-flight football next summer, then keeping Hackney around for the duration of the campaign is surely going to be vital to that.

A move to Fulham, however, could make a lot of sense for the highly-rated midfielder, should he indeed look to pursue a switch to Craven Cottage in January if an offer is placed on the table.

Marco Silva isn't blessed with depth in his central midfield department, with Harrison Reed (30) and Tom Cairney (34) both facing somewhat uncertain long-term futures with the club.