Fulham & Leeds alert: Man Utd ready to hijack star midfielder deal

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·21 February 2026

Fulham & Leeds alert: Man Utd ready to hijack star midfielder deal

Manchester United are reportedly keeping tabs on the middle midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The 23-year-old has performed well in the Championship and could be a useful acquisition for Manchester United. They need more quality and depth in the middle of the park. Signing the 23-year-old for a reasonable price could prove good business.

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He will add creativity and drive in the middle of the park. The opportunity to play for Manchester United will be hard to turn down for him, and he will hope to complete the transfer in the summer. It remains to be seen whether Middlesbrough can secure promotion to the Premier League and convince their players to stay.

Pete O’Rourke revealed on Football Insider: “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.”

Leeds United and Everton are also monitoring his situation. Both clubs could use more quality in the middle of the park, and the 23-year-old would be the ideal acquisition. He has been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past as well. It remains to be seen where he ends up in the summer.

Hackney is a young player with significant potential, and he will improve with coaching and experience. He could develop into an important player for all three Premier League clubs.

Manchester United are one of the best clubs in the world, and the opportunity to play for them can be quite tempting for most players. The 23-year-old is likely to have his head turned if there is a concrete proposal from them at the end of the season.