How much money Middlesbrough FC are demanding from Spurs and Man Utd for Hayden Hackney - it's eye-watering | OneFootball

Middlesbrough have set a £30 million price tag on Hayden Hackney this January

Middlesbrough have slapped a £30 million asking price on star midfielder Hayden Hackney, with the Teesside outfit reluctant to sell the 23-year-old amid interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Middlesbrough are targeting Premier League football next season, with the January window presenting an opportunity to improve areas of weakness to bolster those prospects.

However, TEAMtalk has reported that both Spurs and Man United are interested in signing their star midfielder Hayden Hackney this January, with Boro slapping a £30 million price tag on the 23-year-old.

Indeed, this season presents Boro with their best opportunity of a return to the top flight in some while, sitting in 2nd place, just six points behind Coventry City at this stage.

Therefore, understandably, they are increasingly reluctant to allow any important player to leave this January, let alone Hackney, who is arguably their most important player and prized asset.

Middlesbrough demand a record-breaking fee to part ways with Hayden Hackney this winter, with promotion in their sights

Middlesbrough had accepted an offer in the region of £20 million during the summer for Hackney from fellow Championship rivals Ipswich Town, but he turned down the move in favour of staying with his boyhood club.

Hackney then later stated that he would only be interested in leaving Boro should an established Premier League side come in for him.

Now, with both Spurs and Man United lurking, a move could well be on the cards, much to the dismay of Boro fans, though the Premier League outfits will have to meet their asking price for a move to be sanctioned.

Hackney has started all 26 Championship games so far this season, much to his importance to the side, scoring three and assisting six from midfield.

If a £30 million bid is submitted and accepted for Hackney, it would indeed break the record for Boro's most lucrative sale in their history, surpassing the £22.5 million Atlanta United paid for Emmanuel Latte Lath.

It would be fitting for Hackney to become the club's most expensive sale, and for him to depart; that will almost surely have to be the case.

Though with 18 months remaining on his current deal, Boro will be hoping they can fend off interest from top-flight sides this winter and achieve promotion with the England youth international, in hopes that he will commit his future to the club.

Whether any side will match Middlesbrough's asking price remains to be seen, but the club's stance on Hackney has been made clear - he will only leave this January for a record fee.

Kim Hellberg will not want to lose Middlesbrough's star asset this January

Indeed, head coach Hellberg will be one of the most reluctant people to see Hackney depart Teesside this January.

As he was under predecessor Rob Edwards, Hackney has been an ever-present under the Swede, playing a pivotal role in sustaining Boro's promotion push.

The January window, whilst it offers the chance for teams to improve areas of weakness, it also provides an opportunity for other sides to poach your club's best players, and thus become weaker.

For a side sitting in the automatic places at this stage, Boro simply cannot afford to weaken this January, as any sale of Hackney would almost certainly cause a huge dent in their promotion hopes.

For now, Hackney remains a Boro player, and unless anyone submits a record-breaking fee, he will remain so until at least the summer, where Middlesbrough will be hoping they will be playing Premier League football next.