Ipswich Town suffer big Hayden Hackney blow as Middlesbrough exit call made | OneFootball

Hayden Hackney has rejected the chance to sign for Ipswich Town.

Ipswich Town have suffered a major setback in their pursuit of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough after the player has turned down a move to Portman Road.

According to a report from The Northern Echo on Saturday afternoon, the player has rejected the chance to sign for the Tractor Boys this summer.

An offer worth £20 million was accepted by the Teesside outfit, but the player now looks set to remain at the Riverside for the time being.

The midfielder has been included on the bench in Boro’s pre-season friendly clash at home against Deportivo de La Coruña.

Hayden Hackney rejects Ipswich Town move

As per a report from The Northern Echo, Hackney has turned down an offer to sign for Ipswich after a £20 million deal was agreed with Middlesbrough.

It’s understood that the player travelled to Suffolk in the last 48 hours in order to discuss a move to Ipswich, but talks have led to him turning down the opportunity.

It’s believed that the Tractor Boys have offered Hackney a significant increase on his current wages, but that’s not been enough to tempt him to leave Middlesbrough.

This will come as a major setback for Kieran McKenna’s side, who were hoping to bolster their midfield options with the 23-year-old.

It was reported by our sister site GiveMeSport on Friday that Manchester United were considering a last-minute approach to try and hijack Ipswich’s move for the player.

But it remains unclear whether these two latest developments are connected at this stage, with Hackney on the bench for this afternoon’s friendly at the Riverside.

Hayden Hackney’s importance to Middlesbrough

A £20 million offer for Hackney being accepted is a reflection of his importance to the Middlesbrough squad.

He was a key figure under Michael Carrick, and there is no doubt that he’d similarly be important under Rob Edwards, provided he stays with the club for next season.

The midfielder featured 43 times in the Championship last season as he enjoyed his best goalscoring campaign of his senior career with five, as Boro finished 10th in the table.

Hackney has a contract with Boro until the summer of 2027.

Hackney development is a huge blow for Ipswich

Winning the race to Hackney this summer would’ve been a real coup for Ipswich, so this is a blow for the team.

If Man United have made an offer to sign him, then perhaps this is why the move to Portman Road has collapsed.

Hackney is surely now ready for the jump up to the Premier League, and so it was always going to be surprising to see him make a move to another Championship side, especially given the fact he's a Boro academy graduate and boyhood fan of the club.

It would be great for Middlesbrough to keep Hackney, but the £20 million asking price has now seemingly been set, and a move to the top-flight could very well still be on the cards before 1 September deadline.