£40m-rated Middlesbrough duo handed "irreplaceable" claim as Crystal Palace plot £27m transfer raid | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has been discussing Crystal Palace's reported interest in Hayden Hackney, and Rav van den Berg.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Crystal Palace are reportedly plotting a double raid on Middlesbrough to sign Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg.

The news was dropped by The Sun journalist Gary Stonehouse, with fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur also thought to be eyeing Hackney.

The report mooted £27m as the combined price the Eagles are looking to pay for the Boro pair.

We asked our Middlesbrough fan pundit, Phil Auton, whether he believes that figure is substantial enough to warrant losing two of the club’s top players.

Middlesbrough urged to demand more than £27m for Hackney and Van den Berg

Speaking to Football League World, Phil said: “I would definitely say, along with [Finn] Azaz and probably Tommy Conway, they’re certainly two of our more saleable assets. I think £27m for the pair is cutting it really short, to be honest.

“I think Hayden Hackney alone should be somewhere in the £25m-30m region, similar to [Jobe] Bellingham, who’s moved from Sunderland to Dortmund. I am biased, but I think Hackney's a better player than Bellingham. You could compare the stats, and I think that would tell you that as well.

“But as a Championship club, we've only got so much pulling power, so it may drop to sort of £20-25m for Hackney; add-ons, all these kind of things.

“I don't want him to go. I don't think he's replaceable. He's got so much ability and still at a young age, but that’s just the perils of being in the Championship, really.

“We've only got so much pulling power when a Premier League side comes in, so I think he will go, and I think we will struggle to replace him, certainly for a fraction of the cost.

“I can see us spending the money we get for him on several players to replace him. That's how highly I rate him, to be honest. He's our best player.

“In terms of [Rav] Van den Berg, I think his stock's fallen a little bit with a little bit of form last season and injuries, but I think that coincided with the shaky defence around him.

“I think for Rav, I would be looking at somewhere, probably between £10-15m on him alone. So, the £27m for the two of them, for me, it’s just not cutting it. I wouldn't like to say ridiculous fees.

“I think in our position, I think if we got something in the region of £35-40m, even with the add-ons, I think that would probably be doable.”

Boro are in the driving seat when it comes to Hackney and Van den Berg, to an extent

Hayden Hackney is under contract with Boro until 2027, as is Van den Berg.

Those two clear years of the pair’s contract remaining gives Boro a decent amount of leverage in any negotiations but, as Phil suggests, the club still being in the Championship does harm their chances.

Every player wants the chance to prove themselves in the Premier League and, should Middlesbrough be seen to stand in either’s way for too long, it will be extremely unsettling and could affect performances next season.

There will need to be some tightrope walking here to ensure those at the Riverside do not lose out, especially on Hackney, a player they have developed for well over a decade.

Boro should not stand in the way of players looking to achieve their dreams, and have proven they won't with the recent sales of Emmanuel Latte Lath and Morgan Rogers respectively, but they must take reasonable time to ensure any deal works for them.