“Steve Gibson will” - Ray Parlour issues summer prediction on Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney amid West Ham links | OneFootball

Despite what has been an inconsistent season for Middlesbrough, one man has continued to impress at The Riverside Stadium.

England U21 international Hayden Hackney is said standout and his trajectory towards becoming a Premier League player has continued] under the management of Michael Carrick.

The energetic midfielder has been linked with a potential move to the top flight on numerous occasions this season, having put in a plethora of consistent performances at Championship level and against Premier League opposition when Boro faced off against Chelsea and Aston Villa in the FA Cup and EFL Cup respectively.

Even officials at Middlesbrough have failed to shy away from the interest that has come the 21-year-old's way this season, as head of football Kieran Scott revealed that plenty of enquiries have come their way, but they don't plan on a departure from The Riverside Stadium anytime soon.

"He's one we want to keep, he's a Redcar boy, a local boy, he loves the club and wants to stay," Scott stated via the Twe12thman Podcast.

“I can't be naïve, if he continues to develop at the rate and outgrows us, it's inevitable clubs will come."

A plethora of top flight clubs have all circled around his signature, including West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool, which is more than a compliment to Hackney's ability in just his second season as a regular in the Middlesbrough midfield, despite sustaining an injury last month against Preston North End.

Ray Parlour makes Steve Gibson prediction amid Hayden Hackney interest

One man who knows all about featuring as a central midfielder for the Reds is Ray Parlour, having done so on no less than 60 occasions between 2004 and 2007.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, via NetBet Sports, Parlour predicted that Boro owner Steve Gibson would cash in if the fee offered is right but suggested that The Riverside may be the best place for the youngster if he’s not guaranteed first team football elsewhere.

“He’s a good young player and if the offer is right, then I am sure Steve Gibson will do what is right for the team.

“If it’s not right then Hackney can be a huge player to help Boro next season as they push for promotion.

“Young players need to keep playing, so Boro should be the best place if a move isn’t going to guarantee first team football," Parlour continued.

“If he keeps playing at a good level, the move will come if this one doesn’t materialise.”

Middlesbrough's bargaining power in any potential deal

Although many supporters could be worried that Hackney's ceiling will outgrow the club's current whereabouts, which will come as a disappointment after getting so close to the Premier League last term, the aforementioned Gibson and Carrick do hold significant bargaining power when it comes to any potential bids in the summer.

After an impressive breakthrough season, during which Hackney recorded three goals and four assists in an exuberant and youthful side, the boyhood supporter put pen to paper on a contract running until the summer of 2027.

Therefore, whilst he will no doubt harbour ambitions of a Premier League career, Middlesbrough will be in no rush to see him leave, and with three years left on his contract, top flight suitors will be forced into a hard bargain if they are to prize away the academy graduate who performed admirably against the aforementioned top flight duo, including a goal against Mauricio Pochettino's side on January 10th.

It would seem a reasonable claim that if Hackney was to depart, the club would be demanding a fee in excess of £20m, which would also prove beneficial as Carrick could then add further bodies into the squad, and emulate the likes of Coventry City, who have re-invested big money from Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer's departures impeccably.