Crystal Palace is reportedly planning a double raid on Middlesbrough to sign Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg.
Gary Stonehouse of The Sun broke the news, with another Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur also rumoured to be interested in Hackney.
According to the report, the Eagles intend to pay £27 million for the Boro pair.
Middlesbrough encouraged to seek more than £27 million for Hackney and Van den Berg.
Speaking with Football League World, Phil stated, “I would definitely say, along with [Finn] Azaz and probably Tommy Conway, they’re certainly two of our more saleable assets.” To be honest, I think £27 million for the pair is far too little.
“I believe Hayden Hackney should be worth somewhere between £25 million and £30 million, equivalent to [Jobe] Bellingham, who has moved from Sunderland to Dortmund. I’m biassed, but I believe Hackney is a better player than Bellingham. You might also compare the statistics, which I believe would provide the same information.
“But as a Championship club, we only have so much pulling power, therefore it may drop to £20-25 million for Hackney, including add-ons.
“I don’t want him to leave.” I don’t believe he’s replaceable. He has so much talent, especially at such a young age, but it is only one of the drawbacks of competing in the Championship.
“We only have so much pulling power when a Premier League team comes in, so I believe he will leave, and we will struggle to replace him, at least for a fraction of the amount.
“I can see us spending the money we receive on him on a number of players to replace him. That is how much I regard him, to be honest. He is our best player.
“In terms of [Rav] Van den Berg, I think his stock has dropped a little bit due to a lack of form last season and injuries, but I believe that corresponded with the fragile defence surrounding him.
“I think with Rav, I would look at anything between £10-15 million for him alone. So, for me, £27 million for the two of them isn’t enough. I wouldn’t call the fees ridiculous.
“I think in our position, I think if we got something in the region of £35-40m, even with the add-ons, I think that would probably be doable.”
Boro are in the driving seat when it comes to Hackney and Van den Berg, to some degree.
Hayden Hackney and Van den Berg both have contracts with Boro until 2027.
Boro has a reasonable amount of leverage in any negotiations because they still have two years on their contracts, but as Phil points out, the club’s chances are harmed by their continued presence in the Championship.
| Hackney in the Championship 24/25, as per WhoScored | |
|---|---|
| Starts (Sub) | 43 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 3 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.2 |
| Key passes per 90 | 1.5 |
| Pass success rate | 84.8% |
Every player wants the opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League, and if Middlesbrough is considered to stand in either’s way for too long, it will be immensely uncomfortable and may influence performances the next season.
There will be some tightrope walking required to ensure that those at the Riverside do not lose out, particularly on Hackney, a player they have developed for well over a decade.
Boro should not stand in the way of players pursuing their goals, as they have demonstrated with the recent sales of Emmanuel Latte Lath and Morgan Rogers, but they must take reasonable steps to ensure that any transfer works in their favour.
However, as Phil points out, £27 million for both feels like the low end of the scale.
Leave a Reply