Tottenham could be beaten to a reported summer transfer target who could be available on a reduced fee. Spurs face an uncertain few months as they prepare to battle relegation under new interim boss Igor Tudor, who has taken over from Thomas Frank.
Tudor has only signed a deal until the summer, and it looks unlikely he will remain in place beyond that. Spurs are likely already searching for a new long-term replacement, perhaps beginning that search by finding out if Mauricio Pochettino will take over after his World Cup campaign with USMNT.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s recruitment chief will already be doing their homework ahead of the summer as they look to strengthen the current group. Spurs clearly need a stronger squad, given their league position, and there have been clear shortcomings by the club’s recruitment staff over the last year, in particular.
Spurs need a summer of smart shopping after a disappointing winter window, and according to reports, they are showing interest in a Championship talent in Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.
Hackney has played a key role in Middlesbrough’s success this season, with Boro second in the Championship table. The holding midfielder has made 32 league appearances, scoring five times and providing six assists.
Given his age and potential, Hayden is valued at £21.8million by Transfermarkt, but he is out of contract in 2027 as things stand, and that could mean he is available on a reduced fee.
Man Utd ‘enter the race’
The bad news for Tottenham is that Manchester United are said to have stepped into the race. According to TEAMtalk, United are interested in a move for Hackney as they look to add depth to their midfield, with Casemiro leaving this summer.
Hackney has worked under Michael Carrick previously, so the Red Devils could have an advantage if the transfer battle does play out. Though, Tottenham could likely offer a quicker path to starts, and they do need a new holding midfielder to replace Yves Bissouma, who will almost certainly leave at the end of his contract this summer.
Much of the possible race is likely to come down to whether Boro get promoted, with the North-East club currently in second and five points clear of nearest challenger Millwall. Should Boro go up, Hackney may well be inclined to stay, given he can play every week in the Premier League, although there will be an outstanding question over whether he will extend his contract or allow it to run down.
Hackney praise
Speaking in December, Boro boss Kim Hellberg was full of praise for Hackney. He told the Northern Echo: “Hayden is a fantastic player. He’s good at everything. He could play in every position there is on the pitch and do it brilliantly.
“He has all of that, but then he has also been the captain in these last two games and has been leading the squad so well. You could see his happiness when everyone else scored [at Hull] – he is such a good guy, for every goal, whether it was the first one or we were going four up, he was so happy for the people who were scoring, he was running to them and celebrating for them.
“He was such a good captain in terms of doing everything for the team. He was getting in the box, he was getting everywhere on the pitch, and then when somebody else scored, he was too them so quickly to congratulate them and the player who played them the ball.
“He was such a good captain, and he is such a good guy for the team. When you watch him play football, everyone can see that he is brilliant. But it is everything else around that that has impressed me so much with him.”
Leave a Reply