"I believe he will.." - Carlton Palmer reacts as Nottingham Forest plot Middlesbrough transfer | OneFootball

Highlights

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough are currently succumbing to the pitfalls of, quite simply, not being a top-flight club.

The Teessiders were in tip-top form for much of the previous campaign and rightly earned a shot in the play-offs as a result, though their inability to dispose of Coventry City in the semi-finals has proved costly thus far.

Middlesbrough's success was chiefly engineered by the loan players that Carrick was able to recruit to the Riverside Stadium, with Ryan Giles, Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer all orchestrating key roles during their stints in the Championship.

Now, Boro will no doubt be stung at all three of those players subsequently signing for newly-promoted clubs in the form of Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United - it could well have been them.

They were also powerless to prevent the sale of Chuba Akpom, who suddenly soared towards stardom last term by hitting 28 goals.

A revitalied figure under Carrick's stewardship, Akpom had just a year left on his current deal in the North East, thus removing Boro's abilty to play hardball in negotiations and eventually forcing their hand into sanctioning a transfer to Eredivisie heavyweights Ajax.

Failing to bring back and indeed keep hold of so many impressive operators has naturally left the Boro faithful fretting over the immediate future of midfield dynamo Hayden Hackney amid interest from Nottingham Forest, although pundit Carlton Palmer has explained the trump card that Middlesbrough have to avoid losing him in the same way that they lost Akpom.

What has Carlton Palmer said about Hayden Hackney's Middlesbrough future amid transfer interest?

Speaking exclusively to FLW, Palmer sung praise towards Hackney's quality and explained that he'll rightly have top-flight ambitions as a result. although he placed an emphasis on the ball residing very much in Middlesbrough's court when the vultures inevitably circle.

"Nottingham Forest have been linked with a summer move for Hayden Hackney, the talented Middlesbrough midfield player.

"Middlesbrough moved amid the speculation around Hackney in the summer transfer window to secure his services until the summer of 2027, so they're currently well in control of that situation.

"Ultimately, Hackney like all players will want to play at the highest level - I believe he will end up playing in the Premier League - but right now, the talented 20-year-old midfielder would benefit from playing consistent football at Middlesbrough under Carrick.

"We all know that funds have not been readily available for Michael to do a lot of business in the summer transfer window, so a big offer from Forest might tempt Middlesbrough, who can then reinvest in their squad with some new faces."

Can Middlesbrough keep hold of Hayden Hackney?

Palmer makes a strong case here, as Hackney's fresh terms clearly give the club a sense of security.

Of course, it won't be enough to put off potential suitors who may still be capable of angling a move, but it'll certainly allow Middlesbrough to up their asking price, get the highest possible sum and even remind the player himself of his contractual commitment to the club if he tries to force through a transfer.

Plenty of questions have fairly been asked of Middlesbrough's business in the summer window, as they've operated with a recruitment philosophy that appears to encompass long-term future-proofing with, on the face of it at least, little focus on the here and now.

That said, Boro have to be applauded for tying Hackney down on a new four-year deal, something which could prove to be a masterstroke both right now and in the long-run.