Hayden Hackney will have to make a decision about his future.
Middlesbrough have accepted Ipswich Town’s latest offer for Hayden Hackney, and the Teesside midfielder must now decide whether to join a fellow Championship team.
Boro rejected the Tractor Boys’ first bid for Hackney earlier this week, but as Teesside Live reported at the time, talks between the two teams were still ongoing. Ipswich were eager to close a deal, and by upping the upfront terms of their offer, they were able to reach an agreement with Boro on a deal worth approximately £20 million, the majority of which is guaranteed payments.
Hackney is now anticipated to fly to Suffolk to meet with Ipswich, who are thought to be willing to offer him a substantial wage package in order to persuade him to make the switch. Teesside Live was told earlier this week that Hackney was open to the move, but his preference would naturally be for a Premier League deal.
As of now, no top-flight club has matched Ipswich’s offer for the midfielder, despite the 23-year-old being on the radar of several clubs, including Everton, Crystal Palace, and West Ham. It is unclear whether Hackney will make the move or wait for a better opportunity.
While Boro would have preferred not to lose Hackney this summer, he only has two years left on his deal. With significantly better terms available elsewhere, settling on a new deal proved problematic, making a sale now the last chance to realize peak value for the academy graduate.
His sale would be pure profit in PSR calculations, and it would considerably improve Boro’s capacity to close incoming transactions and boost Rob Edwards’ choices during the summer. Boro have made two signings this season, with centre-back Alfie Jones and teenage midfielder Abdoulaye Kante joining.
However, Hackney’s departure would prompt Boro to sign a more ready-made midfield replacement, while also strengthening at full-back/wing-back and at the top of the pitch, where they require a forward/attacking midfielder and at least one striker.
They have been in talks with Blackburn Rovers about signing right wing-back Callum Brittain, and they are still in talks with striker Danny Ings about a free move. They also have a number of future options in mind, one of which they would like to move rapidly to secure if the Hackney sale goes through.
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