SONTJE Hansen and Pavel Sulc are both players who have been closely watched by Middlesbrough, while Callum Brittain is one of the right-back options being explored ahead of the coming Championship season.
Boro are not interested in Louie Barry, whose transfer from Aston Villa to Hull City fell through last week.
Boro are currently in Portugal for their pre-season training camp, and Hayden Hackney is part of the 27-man group.
However, there is rising interest in the Teessider from both the Premier League and beyond, and Boro are expecting offers for the 23-year-old player.
Boro have yet to enhance their squad this summer, but Hansen and Sulc, who were heavily linked this week, are both believed to be interested.
Since joining NEC Nijmegen two seasons ago, former Ajax youth Hansen has piqued the interest of fans in his home country. The 23-year-old winger produced six goals and four assists in the Eredivisie last season, attracting interest from numerous Championship clubs.
Burnley failed to sign Hansen late in the January transfer window after missing out on Morgan Whittaker, who moved to Boro.
Big-spending Birmingham City were also linked with Hansen earlier this summer, while Wrexham are thought to be interested. Copenhagen is keeping an eye on the situation as well.
Hansen’s contract with NEC expires in two years, but it’s unclear what kind of offer would be required to get the Dutch club to do business.
Sulc, meantime, is in the final year of his contract with Czech club Viktoria Plzen, and the offensive midfielder is expected to depart this summer. But the competition is strong.
Bournemouth, Lazio, and clubs in Germany and Turkey are all reportedly interested in the 24-year-old, who scored 20 goals and assisted 15 times in 54 games across all competitions last season.
Sulc, a No.10 who can also play in a deeper midfield role, won Player of the Year in the Czech first flight last season.
The future of Blackburn right-back Brittain is uncertain at the moment, with Rovers failing to make a breakthrough in contract negotiations. The 27-year-old’s current contract ends next summer, and a number of teams are monitoring the situation, including Boro.
Wrexham and Derby are both thought to be interested, with Rams manager John Eustace, who previously managed Blackburn, eager to reunite with Brittain.
The right-back is coming off his greatest season at Ewood Park, and Rovers had hoped for a contract breakthrough before now. Brittain has a solid relationship with head coach Valerien Ismael, with whom he previously played at Barnsley, but he is also aware of other offers.
Boro’s primary goal is to strengthen at right-back, where Luke Ayling is the only senior player on Rob Edwards’ books after a difficult and injury-plagued season. Josh Dede, who joined Boro from Celtic in January and impressed in his first months on Teesside but is yet to play a senior game for the club, underwent toe surgery earlier this week.
Barry, meantime, was supposed to join Hull City for £3.5 million last week, but the deal fell through, and the Tigers were later issued with a transfer embargo. The fines stemmed from the failure to pay a fee owing to Villa for Barry’s loan move to the MKM Stadium in the second half of last season.
Acun Ilicali, Hull City’s owner, released an open letter over the weekend declaring there are “zero issues with Aston Villa” and expressing confidence that their appeal will be successful.
Barry’s failed move sparked speculation that Boro, who were linked in January, may make a move, with one national expert indicating this was feasible. However, Boro are not interested in the 22-year-old.
However, there is plenty of interest in Hackney from other clubs, with Everton joining the pursuit for the midfielder, according to Sky Sports, and several others considering a move.
Brentford, Fulham, Crystal Palace, and West Ham are also interested in Hackney, as are Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen. Porto, who failed to sign Hackney in January, is also still interested.
Rav van den Berg, Hackney’s teammate, is also in demand, with Brentford, Crystal Palace, and international clubs all keen.
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