Middlesbrough FC have a serious transfer weapon after £10m talk | OneFootball

The recent offer from Porto will only affirm just how good of a player Hayden Hackney is.

A busy transfer window for Middlesbrough came to its natural conclusion on Monday evening, as they forced one final deal through securing Kelechi Iheancacho on loan from Sevilla.

The Nigerian striker was present at the Riverside for some Monday night football and got to witness his new teammates first hand as they faced promotion chasing Sunderland.

Unfortunately, Boro fell short in the Tees-Wear derby, as a deflected Enzo Le Fée cross ricocheted off Ryan Giles late on, sealing a 3-2 victory for the Black Cats.

Nevertheless, it was a decent performance from Michael Carrick's side and Hayden Hackney stood out once again in the heart of midfield.

The highlight of his game was a beautiful strike into the bottom corner from outside the box, but past that, he managed to create two chances and played 15 passes into the final third as he registered an assist for Delano Burgzorg's goal.

This performance was symptomatic of the 22-year-old’s excellent season, and if he keeps it up, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more offers come in the summer after January’s £10 million talks with FC Porto.

FC Porto transfer pursuit of Hayden Hackney in January window speaks volumes

Hackney may not have been the major talking point of the January window for Boro, but that didn't stop interest from arriving on Monday (February 3) as FC Porto tried to secure a late deal for the Englishman.

According to Sky Sports' Keith Downie, the Portuguese giants made a second offer to Carrick's side on deadline day as they sent in a £10 million package for the midfielder, as they searched for a Nico Gonzalez replacement with the Spaniard heading for Man City.

Given the timing of the approach, Boro were never likely to accept, and they swiftly rejected the offer, with Downie reporting that the club valued Hackney at well above that figure.

With Hackney tied down at the Riverside until 2027 and defensive midfielders in high demand in the modern era of football, Porto would have needed to come in with a much higher offer. His value will likely only increase over the next six months and you can be certain that a whole host of clubs will be keen on securing his signature this summer.

Hayden Hackney is key for Middlesbrough's promotion hopes

While Middlesbrough’s attacking play has grabbed the headlines, there’s no doubt that Hackney has been instrumental in keeping them in the play-off race.

Beyond his five goals and two assists, the young midfielder has a real knack for dictating play and boasts some of the best passing stats in the division. On average, he completes 64.46 passes per game and ranks highly for accurate long balls, touches, and successful dribbles.

While his midfield partner Aidan Morris puts in plenty of work off the ball, Hackney more than holds his own, with his 6.61 recoveries per 90 minutes placing him among the top 7.1% of midfielders in the division.

Keeping hold of him was crucial for Boro’s promotion hopes come May, and many EFL fans would argue that Carrick has the most naturally gifted squad in and around the top six.

If the head coach can get them playing at the required level, there’s no reason they can’t go up. At this stage, it will have to be via the play-offs, and Hackney will need to be at his best to help his side overcome the competition around them.