These 2 Middlesbrough players could follow Finn Azaz out of the Riverside this summer | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at two Middlesbrough players who could follow Finn Azaz out of the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Middlesbrough's Finn Azaz looks set for a big-money move to the Premier League this summer.

A report from the Irish Independent on 27 May has claimed that Leeds United and Bournemouth have joined Crystal Palace in the race to sign Boro's talismanic attacking midfielder.

It's understood that Middlesbrough value the Republic of Ireland international at around £20m, meaning the Teessiders could be set for another big payday this summer thanks to the 24-year-old.

As such, Football League World takes a look at two other Middlesbrough stars that could follow Azaz out of the Riverside Stadium this summer.

Hayden Hackney

He's one of Middlesbrough's biggest academy success stories in recent times; Hayden Hackney has built himself a reputation as one of the EFL's most exciting young talents.

The 22-year-old Redcar-born midfielder joined his boyhood Boro at Under-10 level, and ever since then, and in the years that followed, he quickly began turning heads among the club's youth staff.

He would soon develop into one of Middlesbrough's standout performers across various academy sides, before signing his first professional contract with the club in 2019.

However, he wouldn't get his big Boro breakthrough until October 2022, when in the intervening matches between Chris Wilder's sacking and Michael Carrick's appointment, then first-team coach Leo Percovich would hand the young central midfielder the chance to show what he could do in the senior side.

The rest, as they say, is history. Hackney has been a stalwart in Middlesbrough's midfield ever since, with only injury and suspension keeping him out of the starting XI.

He's now a fully established England youth international, and has just recorded his best goalscoring season of his professional career in 2024/25, with five goals in 44 total appearances to his name.

As such, word of his exploits was never going to be able to be confined to Teesside, as Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool have all been credited with an interest in him since January 2024.

More recently, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Stuttgart have all been linked with a move for Hackney, whilst Porto are also understood to be preparing for another push to sign the Boro star after failing with a £10m approach in January.

Winning promotion to the Premier League always had the feeling of being Middlesbrough's only realistic chance of retaining Hackney's services beyond this summer, and despite the fact it will surely be a tough decision for the boyhood Boro fan to leave his beloved club, the opportunity to go and play for a top club in a top division will surely prove too tempting.

Marcus Forss

Whilst it would perhaps be easier to hand this second spot to someone like Rav van den Berg - a player who is also attracting Premier League attention -, we thought we'd present a less-talked-about name, but one whose long-term Middlesbrough future feels highly uncertain - Marcus Forss.

The 25-year-old has endured a highly stop-start career on Teesside, with frustrating injury setbacks preventing him from ever really cementing himself as a starting player at the Riverside.

When he has been fit and handed the opportunity to show what he can do, the right-winger has shown himself to be a very hard-working player, who can contribute significantly when it comes to scoring and creating goals.

Forss is coming off the worst goalscoring season of his Middlesbrough career in 2024/25, with just one goal in 25 total appearances this past campaign.

He's also entering the final 12 months of his contract on Teesside, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2026.

Forss has also been capped by his national side Finland over 20 times, but hasn't turned out for them since October 2023. With his national team hoping to qualify for the World Cup next summer, the Finn will no doubt have ambitions of being on that plane.

Therefore, with £5m winter arrival Morgan Whittaker primed to make the right-wing role his own next season, Forss may not receive the regular playing time and resulting opportunities to impress in order to make that potential World Cup squad by staying in the North East.

As such, he could well be one who seeks a move away from Middlesbrough this summer, and that possibility is going under the radar somewhat.