Hayden Hackney: Man United will target Middlesbrough star on one condition

Middlesbrough are one point behind second-place Ipswich Town, though the Tractor Boys have a game in hand advantage, meaning Hackney’s side look destined for the playoffs. But if Boro fail to secure promotion, it is almost certain their maestro will still be playing Premier League football next season.

The Premier League awaits

A report by talkSPORT reveals the Red Devils may target Hackney if Carrick is made permanent head coach at Old Trafford.

The 44-year-old is considered the frontrunner after leading United to the brink of securing Champions League football, with sporting director Jason Wilcox understood to be thoroughly impressed by his effect on and off the pitch. No other side in the division has picked up more points since he replaced Ruben Amorim in January.

INEOS are intent on rebuilding the midfield this summer as Casemiro is set to depart and the dismal form of Manuel Ugarte may see him join the Brazilian through the exit door.

The club’s primary targets are Premier League-proven operators, including Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali, as they look to repeat last summer’s trick to fix the misfiring forward line. But a move for either midfielder will cost up to, if not in excess of, £100 million, while competition will prove fierce from their rivals for either player.

This could see a cheaper alternative, such as Hackney, quickly rise up the ranks as an option off the back of an award-winning season in English football, particularly if Carrick is appointed full-time and pushes for a reunion with his former pupil.

“Hayden Hackney will be a man in demand if Middlesbrough miss out on promotion to the Premier League,” talkSPORT claims. “His stellar form for his boyhood club has put Nottingham Forest, Everton, West Ham and newly-promoted Coventry on high alert. The 23-year-old could even be a potential option for Manchester United, should Michael Carrick be named permanent manager.”

A price tag in the region of £30m is understood to be Middlesbrough’s asking price, though promotion would likely drive this up even further as the North Yorkshire could would have more incentive not to lose their best player.

Final Thoughts

One of the main concerns with signing players from abroad is the adjustment to the frantic nature of Premier League football. But the Championship is often played at a similar speed, albeit with a significant drop in quality.

The ability to stand out as a deep-lying playmaker in the midst of a league dominated by pace and power, to such an extent you are crowned the best player in it, is a testament to the quality Hackney possesses – and an illustration of what he could provide at Old Trafford at a fraction of the price of other midfielders in England.

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