Middlesbrough FC: Any Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath transfer advances must be snubbed | OneFootball

Middlesbrough must do all they can to keep Hayden Hackney and Emmanuel Latte Lath at the club this summer.

Middlesbrough are gearing up for a crucial summer as Michael Carrick looks to build a team that can challenge for promotion once again.

The ex-Man Utd coach was named as Boro chief back in October 2022, and he did a magnificent job after taking over, as the Teesside outfit reached the play-offs against all odds.

Whilst they came up short over two legs against Coventry City, the progress was undeniable, and Carrick had built a stylish side that played exciting, attacking football.

So, everyone connected to Boro went into the previous campaign with high hopes, even if some key figures had moved on last summer, but Carrick’s men ultimately couldn’t make it back-to-back play-off finishes.

Middlesbrough need a productive summer transfer window

Now, the aim is to get back in the mix for promotion, and with many expecting a weaker Championship this season, it could be the case that Boro are a big force in the division.

But, to do that, they clearly need a productive window, and that will naturally bring a focus on who can be brought to the Riverside Stadium to improve the squad.

Yet, it won’t be all about incomings, and it’s equally important that Boro manage to retain some key assets.

It’s obviously difficult for Championship clubs to do that, and in some cases, finances dictate that you have to let a player leave.

However, here we look at TWO players that Middlesbrough must do all they can to keep beyond the summer deadline…

Hayden Hackney

The academy graduate is a class act, and his form in the past few years has made him one of the brightest talents in the Football League.

Hackney is a technically assured midfielder, and he has the intensity and drive from the middle of the park that could make him a special player in the years to come.

Such potential has put Hackney on the radar of some of the biggest clubs in the country, and it has been claimed that the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool have been tracking the 22-year-old in the past.

Of course, if those clubs do formalise their interest with an offer, it will be difficult to keep Hackney, but Boro must outline a clear plan that will help his development and the team to progress.

At this stage of his career, Hackney needs to be playing games, particularly after injury frustration last season, so staying at Boro would make sense. Another year would suit all parties, and if Carrick’s side fails to go up, then a switch in 2025 would be on the cards.

Emmanuel Latte Lath

Boro spent a decent sum to bring Latte Lath in, and for the first few months of the previous season you wondered whether it was the right decision.

Yet, after getting to grips with the Championship, Latte Lath blossomed into a top player, and he ended the season with 16 goals in 30 appearances. If you break it down further though, nine of those goals came in the last eight games.

That means Latte Lath ended the season as one of the best in the league, and it wasn’t just the goals, as he was a constant threat to the opposition with his movement, pace and work-rate.

In today’s game, goalscorers are the hardest to find, and it does look as though the ex-Atalanta man could be the prolific attacker Boro have lacked since Chuba Akpom’s departure.

Naturally, that will put him on the radar of other clubs, but Latte Lath still has years left on his contract, so Boro should have no need to sell.