Middlesbrough FC react as FC Porto launch Hayden Hackney transfer bid | OneFootball

Hayden Hackney is a key player for Middlesbrough, with Michael Carrick's side knocking back a bid from Portuguese giants FC Porto.

Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney is a key player for Michael Carrick, with Boro rejecting a bid from FC Porto for the 22-year-old.

Keith Downie of Sky Sports has revealed that an offer was rejected last week, with the midfielder now entering the last two-and-a-half years of his deal at The Riverside.

He is one of the brightest young talents emerging in English football at the moment, particularly in the Championship. A product of Boro's famed academy, Hackney embodies the club’s tradition of developing homegrown talent.

The best attributes within his skill-set mean that he is capable of playing as a deep-lying playmaker at his very best, where the 22-year-old has already cemented his place as a key part of Michael Carrick’s side.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle United have all been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old in recent times Middlesbrough will no doubt be desperate to retain his services in the January transfer window, but a big-money offer from the Premier League could prove difficult for the club to turn down.

FC Porto make bid for Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney

With Premier League interest mounting in the Redcar-born midfielder once again in the build up to this season's January transfer window, The Teessiders were reported to have slapped a £25 million valuation on him, whilst also ruling out a mid-season sale.

In many ways this is a make or break year for Middlesbrough when it comes to Hackney’s future, it feels like. If they can gain promotion, then surely he will remain at the Riverside and compete in the top-flight in Carrick’s side.

According to previous reports from Give Me Sport, both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on the midfielder, but they looked set to miss out on the Boro talent in January, with Carrick's side determined to hold on to the player for the remainder of the 2024/25 campaign.

That stance has been reiterated follwing news of a bid from the Portuguese giants, who have had a verbal proposal knocked back by Boro. It fell way short of their valuation.

Downie reports Boro see a big future for him on Teesside, but that Hackney has also received plenty of interest from English Premier League sides as well.

Hayden Hackney is vital to Middlesbrough and Michael Carrick

So much of Carrick's tactical approach relies on his engine room operating soundly and efficiently, as he's all about dominating possession and controlling the tempo of matches.

Hackney is crucial to that and is a Premier League player in the making, which is likely to be a reality next season. That could be with Boro or after a move to the top-flight in the summer if Carrick's side miss out on promotion.

Hackney's ability to move the ball quickly and effectively makes him the perfect tempo-setter for Carrick's possession-based philosophy, and is something that he is well-renowned for.

One of his standout qualities is his range of passing. Whether it’s short, intricate combinations or longer, progressive passes that break opposition lines.

Boro will be desperate to keep the majority of their key players prior to the deadline, which includes Hackney above almost any other.