Hayden Hackney stays: Michael Carrick will be on cloud nine if these things happen at Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Holding on to Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath whilst signing Luke Ayling, would be vital in Middlesbrough's chase for Premier League promotion from the Championship next season.

When building a squad that's capable of winning Championship promotion to the Premier League, continuity is a vital aspect that must be accounted for when approaching transfer windows.

In the case of Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough side, they were able to secure some fantastic signings in last summer's window, and have sellable assets running through the squad.

Local star Hayden Hackney and pending free agent Luke Ayling have both drawn interest from other clubs, whilst Emmanuel Latte Lath's agent has recently whipped up potential buyers with his comments on the Boro striker's future.

Carrick, therefore, will no doubt be doing everything in his power to ensure his key men from the previous campaign are once again leading the charge for the play-offs, and perhaps higher, as he looks to end Middlesbrough's top-flight exile next season.

Here are three things Michael Carrick would surely be on cloud nine about if they came to fruition at Middlesbrough over the coming weeks...

Hackney commits to promotion aim with boyhood club

Injury interrupted what was quickly becoming a second highly impressive season as a senior player for Middlesbrough's local gem, Hayden Hackney.

Over the last two seasons, the 21-year-old midfield maestro has burst out of the Rockliffe Park shadows and into the Championship spotlight.

His rise, however, has garnered the attention of some of English football's top clubs, with Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs all reported to hold a serious interest in Hackney.

The England youth international has a contract on Teesside that doesn't expire until 2027, which does put Boro in a very strong negotiating stance in the sense that there is no pressure to sell their star asset anytime soon.

And should he rubbish those rumours and reaffirm his long-term commitment to playing in red and white, Carrick will be over the moon to have his metronome to build a squad around.

Ayling signs up for another season on Teesside

It is perhaps fair to say that the majority of Middlesbrough fans probably weren't expecting to be entering the summer window with priority number one being the permanent addition of Luke Ayling.

Thought to be a momentary safe pair of hands whilst Boro attempt to manage an injury crisis that plagued the right-back spot more than most, it was assumed he'd simply be a stopgap ahead of other options arriving in the following summer.

But after an outstanding spell at the Riverside Stadium that saw the Leeds loanee contribute eight assists in 19 Championship appearances, the 32-year-old has become a can't afford to let go member of Carrick's squad.

Reports have suggested Middlesbrough are in a battle with Sheffield United to secure his signature this summer, but Carrick and the Boro faithful are hopeful that he'll want to build on his exploits on Teesside and sign on for at least another season.

Latte Lath spearheads promotion charge

25-year-old Ivorian striker Emmanuel Latte Lath was a revelation for Middlesbrough in the 2023/24 season, lighting up the Riverside when many thought the shadow Chuba Akpom left would cast it into relative goalscoring darkness once again.

But after arriving last summer from Atalanta for €5 million (£4.3 million), as per Gianluca Di Marzio, Lath's agent has recently been speaking in the media about his star clients' future.

His agent, Matthias Veneroso, spoke to Sportitalia and discussed the possibility of a big move on the horizon for Lath following his exploits in the North East.

He said: "If I had to look at it from the point of view of maturation and what he has done this year, I can tell you that he’s ready.

"Then we’ll have to make the appropriate evaluations, bearing in mind that he has a contract with Middlesbrough, where he’s aiming to do a top-level championship and try to win the league. Having to look around is not our first objective, but we know that strikers are rare commodities and anything can happen…"

Lath signed a four-year contract last summer, and so similarly to that of Hackney, Boro chiefs find themselves in a strong position when it comes to summer interest.

And should Lath also refute any possibility of a summer move away, he will have his manager and Middlesbrough fans everywhere jumping for joy, as any chance of Premier League promotion next season looks highly dependent on Lath wearing the number nine shirt at the Riverside.