If Ipswich Town sign Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney - These two players should follow him to Portman Road | OneFootball

Ipswich Town should sound out a deal for this duo

Ipswich Town are eyeing up a move for Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.

According to TWTD, the Tractor Boys are looking to swoop for the highly-rated midfielder.

The Suffolk side desperately need to add depth to their engine room after losing the likes of Jens Cajuste, Kalvin Phillips and Massimo Luongo.

Club captain Sam Morsy is also poised to exit Portman Road, which makes a move for Hackney all the more reasonable.

It was speculated that Porto made offers to sign the midfielder earlier this year, with Premier League trio Everton, Brentford and Crystal Palace among the other clubs thought to be monitoring him.

However, this interest had gone quiet which has given Ipswich the opportunity to try and secure his services.

The 23-year-old was part of the England U21 squad that won the European Championship this summer and made 43 appearances for Boro last term.

Hackney would be a real coup for the Tractor Boys, but they can’t rest on their laurels if Premier League promotion is the goal.

Therefore, Football League World have highlighted two other players that Kieran McKenna and Co. could swoop for this summer.

2 Emmanuel Latte Lath

Ipswich Town lost their main source of goals earlier this summer after Liam Delap signed for Chelsea.

They currently have George Hirst and Ali Al Hamadi in the striker department; however the latter has been linked with a move away which means that the Tractor Boys will need to sign a new frontman.

Emmanuel Latte Lath departed Middlesbrough for Atlanta United in January, after netting 27 goals in his last 59 Championship appearances.

The Ivorian hasn’t been able to replicate those performances in the States however, scoring just once in his last 14 matches.

McKenna has been a long-time admirer of the 26-year-old, seeing a £20 million bid for his services rejected last summer.

Ipswich were also credited with an interest in the striker earlier this window too, so it wouldn’t be a shock for Latte Lath to end up at Portman Road eventually.

He is a certified Championship goalscorer and would easily be able to afford the striker with the money earned from Delap’s sale.

Latte Lath could also play a role in the Tractor Boys’ buildup, enjoying a 76% passing accuracy for Boro during the 2024/25 campaign.

With forward-thinking players such as Jaden Philogene and Jack Clarke creating chances, having Latte Lath up front to convert such opportunities would provide Ipswich with a brilliant chance of promotion.

As previously mentioned, Ipswich Town have lost a lot of numbers in midfield and need to make more signings than just Hackney this summer.

However, McKenna and Co. could solve that problem by adding one of their departing players back into the squad.

The Tractor Boys have recently been linked with Jens Cajuste, who operated out of Portman Road last season.

Despite struggles with a knee injury, the 25-year-old impressed in the Premier League but has returned to parent club Napoli, following the expiration of his loan deal.

If Ipswich had retained their top-flight status, they would have signed Cajuste permanently for £10 million, but a deal for the midfielder could still be possible.

His credentials speak for themselves, having operated consistently for Napoli in one of the highest levels of European football.

Coupled with 25 appearances for the Swedish national team, Cajuste would be an absolute phenomenon in the English second-tier.

Combining with Hackney, Ipswich could dominate the midfield battle with relative ease in most matches next term, which would give the Tractor Boys a much better shot at promotion.

His technical ability could also allow the Swede to help forge chances for other creative presences in the team, which adds to his value.

Beşiktaş previously agreed a €1 million loan deal for Cajuste, which would become a €6.5 million permanent transfer should certain conditions be met, but that deal has since stalled after Ipswich registered their interest.

Therefore, if McKenna and Co. sense a deal is possible, they must get it over the line.