"Upwards of £20m" - Pundit makes Hayden Hackney/Middlesbrough transfer claim | OneFootball

Highlights

Former England international Carlton Palmer believes that Middlesbrough are in a good position when it comes to the potential future sale of midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The 21-year-old has been getting top recognition for a while now, but his performance in the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea was what really put his name into the minds of many people across the country.

Before the start of the 2023/24 season, Hackney featured on The Athletic's 'EFL ones to watch' series; a series in which they profiled 10 of the most exciting players in the Championship, League One, and League Two. Nancy Froston and Mark Carey - the authors of the article - said that the midfielder was: "a Premier League player in all but name."

The Irish Sun said that the 21-year-old was being scouted by the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. Even with this interest, there doesn't seem to be any budging from Boro; they don't want to sell him.

Carlton Palmer thinks there's no need for Boro to rush to cash in on Hackney

Speaking to Football League World, the football pundit said that Middlesbrough are in a great position when it comes to interest in their star midfielder. He said: "Middlesbrough could be looking at upwards of £20m come the summer if he keeps progressing and playing the way he is.

"Boro are in a very, very strong position as they have Hayden [Hackney] under contract until the summer of 2027. So there's no need to be in any rush to sell the outstanding midfield star."

Palmer added: "Middlesbrough's head of football, Kieran Scott, has said that they have received interest from Premier League clubs for Hackney. He has stated, that the club, at present, have no interest in selling him, but he understands that, if he continues to progress and play the way that he is, that interest will continue to grow."

Scott spoke in detail about the transfer situation surrounding Hackney on the Twe12thman podcast. The club's head of football said: "You talk about ambition and wanting to get to the Premier League, you can't be losing players like Hayden."

When Middlesbrough should look to cash in on Hayden Hackney

Unless Boro right their wrongs of last season and get promoted at the end of the current campaign, the likelihood is that Premier League teams, and their big wallets, are going to try and prize the 21-year-old away from the Riverside in July and August.

His passing and ability to read the game faster than all the other players on the pitch - being able to see what's about to happen before the opposition - are traits that will translate well in the Premier League, and could soon find him rising up the ranks of the top flight of English football.

The club sold star attacked Chuba Akpom to Ajax at the start of this season, for just over £10 million, as per the BBC. Being able to make potentially twice as much as that from the sale of another player this summer would set them up beautifully to make a real push at promotion for the third season running.