Hayden Hackney: Man United’s plan for Middlesbrough maestro explained | OneFootball

Manchester United are admirers of Hayden Hackney, but other Premier League clubs are leading the charge for the Middlesbrough maestro, according to David Ornstein.

Carrick is a fan

Hackney, 23, has emerged as the Championship’s standout midfielder this season as the Redcar native helped propel his boyhood side to the play-off finals. An agonising last-minute 1-0 defeat to Hull City at Wembley deprived Boro of promotion, despite Kim Hellberg’s side playing some of the best football in the division.

Hackney was at the heart of this style of play, serving as the team’s conductor from the middle of the pitch, as he often did under Michael Carrick during the United coach’s time at the Riverside Stadium. But the former England under-21 international has added a more clinical touch in the final third this year, returning six goals and eight assists in all competitions.

These performances were enough to win him the Championship’s Player of the Year, while his contract status offers the chance of a cut-price deal being struck.

Hackney’s current deal expires next year, meaning Boro are reluctantly resigned to losing their prized asset this summer – with offers around £25 million understood to be their demand. This explains why a host of Premier League sides, including the Red Devils, have identified him as a target.

Fresh from being handed a two-year deal by INEOS, Carrick‘s influence at Old Trafford is already growing.

The 44-year-old, who hails from a similar part of the world to Hackney, has been involved in transfer summits led by sporting director Jason Wilcox, where he has actively pushed for a reunion with his former protégé.

Everton leading the race

Ornstein confirms that United’s hierarchy “like” Hackney, but clarifies that “he is lower on their list of targets and a move to Old Trafford is not anticipated at present.”

Instead, The Athletic reporter writes, Everton are in “pole position” to secure his signature as his “preference” is a switch to Merseyside, despite interest from Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur.

“Negotiations between [Everton and Middlesbrough] have yet to take place, but once Hackney has finalised his decision, that part will follow ahead of any deal being struck,” Ornstein concludes.

While a major revamp in midfield is United’s priority this summer, INEOS are understood to be targeting more physically robust options than Hackney – specifically an elite No. 6 to take the reins from Casemiro, whose contract expires this month.

Nottingham Forest talisman Elliot Anderson and Real Madrid superstar Aurelien Tchouameni are the primary targets, though the chances of striking deals for either look remote. Sandro Tonali (Newcastle), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace), Carlos Baleba (Brighton) and Mateus Fernandes (West Ham) are other options high on the club’s radar.

A £38 million deal is at an advanced stage for Atalanta dynamo Ederson, with the 26-year-old Brazilian believed to be prioritising a move to M16 over other suitors.

Final Thoughts

In full flight, Hackney is a delight to watch, possessing a profile more commonly reserved for La Liga than the Championship. It’s no surprise Palace, for example, are sniffing around a deal as they plan for the loss of Wharton – another English midfield maestro with a Spanish twist.

Given the price tag and Hackney’s familiarity with ‘Carrick-ball’, it is an interesting decision by United not to pursue a deal. But it’s one which will be tested immediately next season as the Boro talisman will almost certainly be getting the promotion his side were ultimately unable to achieve themselves.

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