Hackney and Charles: Man United target Championship maestros | OneFootball

Manchester United are on the hunt for two of the finest midfielders in the Championship as the club considers raids for Hayden Hackney and Shea Charles, a new report has revealed.

Bolstering the Squad

United’s priority in INEOS’ third summer at the helm is a complete revamp in midfield, with the previous windows having focused on upgrading the defence and attack. Only Manuel Ugarte has been signed to bolster the middle of the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner, a transfer which is comfortably the worst of the hierarchy’s tenure.

Man United's signings under INEOS - Ratings

The 25-year-old Uruguayan will be sold if a suitable buyer can be sourced, while Casemiro is certain to depart once his contract expires, leaving Kobbie Mainoo as the only senior midfielder at Old Trafford.

A replacement for the Brazilian behemoth is considered the most urgent, and the one which will cost the most. A versatile No.8 to rotate with Mainoo is also on the agenda, as is a younger (and cheaper) option to provide depth — but only if Ugarte is sold.

The Athletic reveals two of the names on United’s wish list are Hackney, Middlesbrough’s midfield maestro, and Southampton dynamo Charles. By dipping into the Championship, the Red Devils will be able to target players who are comfortable in a league with similar speed and intensity to the Premier League, without the associated costs.

There is the obvious caveat of how those signings will adapt to the obvious jump in quality from England’s second division to its first, but the Premier League is filled with quality operators who first made their name elsewhere in the football pyramid.

Hayden Hackney

Hackney is obviously well-known to United’s head coach, Michael Carrick, after the pair’s shared time at the Riverside Stadium. However, the 23-year-old has gone from strength to strength since Carrick left, firmly establishing himself as one of the best playmakers in the Championship.

The Redcar native is capable of dictating play from deep, possessing a wonderful passing range and the ability to evade the opposition press. He has also added more attacking threat to his game this season, returning six goals and eight assists as he has helped propel ‘Boro to the final of the playoffs — albeit in controversial fashion, as will be discussed shortly.

The Athletic claims Hackney is “well-liked” by figures at Old Trafford, most obviously his former manager. He is seen as a talent with “huge potential”, particularly as these types of midfield conductors rarely are the whole package by 23 — as Luka Modric or Vitinha prove.

However, United are not alone in their admiration, with Brighton, Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest all understood to be tracking Hackney.

Whether Middlesbrough emerge triumphant from the playoff final against Hull City this weekend will likely prove key to his availability, though sources suggest an exit is inevitable either way. A £30m price tag is believed to be set.

Shea Charles

Charles, 22, has developed into a well-rounded midfielder at St Mary’s, capable of operating in a number of areas of the pitch, including at fullback. This versatility will be attractive to United, given the different positions that need to be addressed in Carrick’s squad this summer.

The Northern Ireland international had already captained his country by the age of 20, and has produced strong performances for Michael O’Neill’s side against high-quality opposition in Germany and Italy. It was Jason Wilcox, United’s sporting director, who signed Charles at Southampton for £15m in July 2023, having previously worked with him during their shared time at Manchester City’s academy, where Wilcox was director.

The Athletic states the Saints midfielder is seen as a “lower-cost” option with “potential high upside” if given the room to continue development at the Theatre of Dreams. Interestingly, Southampton may be forced to sell many of their star players this summer after becoming embroiled in the ‘Spygate’ controversy, having been found guilty of spying by the EFL and kicked out of the playoffs, despite beating Middlesbrough in the semi-finals.

There has been enormous backlash, both inside and outside of the south coast club, with calls for manager Tonda Eckert to resign. If Southampton had been promoted, their negotiating position for Charles would have been strong; it has now never been weaker, with United circling in the background.

Final Thoughts

The depressing reality is that it will not be hard to upgrade Ugarte, the Unable Uruguayan, this summer, given just how poor he has been since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain for £50.7m two years ago. The only difficulty United will find is locating a willing buyer to take him off their hands permanently.

Both Hackney and Charles would be excellent additions, though the Middlesbrough maestro is a more accomplished and developed player at this stage of their respective careers. However, Charles’ physicality and versatility make him a better squad option, as well as a more complementary partner to Mainoo, who shares many attributes with Hackney.

But if Luis Enrique’s all-conquering PSG side, which was sparked to life by booting Ugarte out of the French capital in place of Portuguese starlet Joao Neves, has taught us anything, it’s you can never have too many technically gifted midfielders in your squad.

The Spanish tactician is INEOS’s dream coach to lead their revolution in M16; if the choice was left up to him between Hackney and Charles, the ‘Boro playmaker would be in a red shirt on day one of the summer window.

Featured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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