West Ham United are considering a move for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney, which may deal Ipswich Town a second blow in their pursuit of the midfield player.
With the 1 September transfer deadline approaching, clubs in English football’s top two divisions are working hard to finalize their squads.
Ipswich Town is no exception, as Kieran McKenna’s side looks to make an immediate return to the top flight this season.
Chuba Akpom, Jens Cajuste, Ashley Young, and Azor Matusiwa are among the new faces at Portman Road this summer, but there is one player in particular that the club is desperate to get to Suffolk: Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.
West Ham are weighing up Hayden Hackney swoops on Boro contract ahead of Ipswich Town
Football League World exclusively disclosed last week that the Tractor Boys were planning a new move for Hackney before the transfer deadline.
This comes after Town’s Championship-record £20 million+ agreement fell through due to the player himself rejecting a transfer to Portman Road in favour of staying with his childhood Boro.
As a result, news of Ipswich’s re-emergence in the Hackney competition understandably sparked enthusiasm among Town supporters, who saw the possibility of adding one of the Championship’s best midfielders to their side.
However, cold water may be put on that fire once more this summer, with reports of long-awaited Premier League interest in the Middlesbrough maestro finally arriving.
That’s because, according to a report published on Tuesday evening by FLW’s sister site GIVEMESPORT, West Ham United is considering making their own approach to sign Hackney.
According to reports, Irons manager Graham Potter is eager to strengthen his midfield options, and United has the 23-year-old in their sights, since he is a player they have been watching for quite some time.
According to GMS, while West Ham has more costly and established players on their shortlist, Hackney is seen as a cheaper option, as well as adding another homegrown player to their team.
Middlesbrough could be more inclined to sell Hackney today than when Ipswich made the first approach
Since Hackney passed down the opportunity to join Ipswich at the start of the month, Middlesbrough have been able to significantly strengthen their midfield options.
Prior to Hackney’s rejection by Ipswich, Boro signed 20-year-old Frenchman Abdoulaye Kante from Troyes, and in his first three appearances for the Teessiders, he appears to be a player with plenty of talent and potential.
If that wasn’t enough, Rob Edwards may have just pulled off one of the Championship’s biggest transfers this summer.
That’s because Manchester City’s teenage wonderkid Sverre Nypan, whom the club just recently paid £12.5 million to purchase from Rosenborg in July, has agreed to a season-long loan move at Riverside Stadium.
As a result of the arrival of these two great central midfielders, along with the fact that Boro already has proven middle-of-the-park performers in Aidan Morris and Finn Azaz, Boro’s midfield appears to be their best unit – even without Hackney.
Hackney has always stated that he would prefer a Premier League move over a Championship one this summer, as evidenced by his Ipswich transfer stance, and with a stronger midfield group, West Ham may find it easier to strike a deal with Middlesbrough for their star academy graduate.
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