Hayden Hackney wants to leave Middlesbrough on one clear condition | OneFootball

Hayden Hackney has informed Middlesbrough that he wants to leave the club should a Premier League side come in for him.

Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has informed the club that, should a Premier League side come in for him between now and the end of the window, he would like to leave the club.

According to Pete O'Rourke via X, Middlesbrough's Hackney has informed the club that he wishes to leave before the end of the window, should an offer from a Premier League side arise.

The England Under-21 midfielder has spent his entire career on Teesside aside from a brief loan spell with Scunthorpe United in League Two during the 2021/22 season.

Hackney, 23, has been a mainstay in Boro's starting lineup for the past few seasons, playing 43 Championship matches alone last season in the league and establishing himself as the club's prized asset.

The Englishman has played 117 times for Boro to date, scoring 11 times and assisting on ten occasions, and has started all three of Boro's league games so far this season as they maintain their 100% start, winning all three games on the bounce along with Stoke City.

Hayden Hackney has informed Middlesbrough that he only wants a Premier League move

Hackney has told Middlesbrough that he only wants a Premier League move if he were to leave the Riverside.

This comes after the midfielder turned down the chance to join Ipswich Town earlier on in the window after Boro had accepted an offer worth £20 million for their academy graduate.

West Ham United, Crystal Palace and Everton have all been credited with registering an interest in the 23-year-old, as Boro will be bracing themselves for bids for their star man as the transfer window enters the final few days.

Portuguese giants FC Porto were also credited with having a bid rejected by the Championship club for Hackney in January, with Boro valuing the midfielder significantly higher than the £10 million that Porto had offered.

Middlesbrough will be hoping to keep a hold of Hayden Hackney as the transfer deadline edges closer

Manager Rob Edwards will undoubtedly be keen to hold on to Hackney beyond this window as the club looks to climb to the table and aim for at least a play-off place.

Retaining the services of Hackney will do Boro the world of good for their ambitions this season, and although they have managed to retain him so far, it could only be a matter of time before that changes.

West Ham, in particular, have begun the new season dreadfully, having been defeated by newly-promoted Sunderland 3-0 at the Stadium of Light on the opening day, before a 5-1 home defeat to Chelsea, and most recently succumbing to a 3-2 defeat to Wolves in the League Cup despite being 2-1 up.

Hammers manager Graham Potter is already under immense pressure to turn fortunes around at the London Stadium and may turn to Hackney between now and the end of the window to help fix their midfield problems.

If West Ham are to make a bid for Hackney, that could trigger a bidding war between the Premier League clubs for Hackney, which, whilst not ideal for Boro to lose Hackney, would drive up the fee that they can command.

Hackney is still under contract until the summer of 2027, and if Middlesbrough were to get a significant fee for Hackney, these final few days are likely to be their final chance.