2 Ipswich Town players who may raise an eyebrow at big Hayden Hackney transfer news | OneFootball

We looked at two Ipswich Town players who may be concerned by the club's big-money move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

As Ipswich Town prepare for life back in the Championship, they have made an audacious move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Ipswich were relegated from the Premier League last season, but as they look to make an instant return to the top flight, they have brought in three new signings this summer in goalkeeper David Button, defender Cedric Kipre and midfielder Azor Matusiwa, with the latter joining from Rennes for a fee of £7.8 million.

Despite spending big on Matusiwa, it seems the Tractor Boys are far from done in the transfer market, and according to journalist Alan Nixon, the Tractor Boys have made a £20 million bid for Hackney, while they are also willing to offer the 23-year-old a stunning £35,000-a-week in wages.

Teesside Live claim Ipswich's initial offer for Hackney has been rejected as it falls below Boro's valuation, but the two clubs remain in talks, and although the England Under-21 international would prefer a move to the Premier League, he is believed to be "open" to the switch to Portman Road if no top flight clubs come in for him.

News of the huge bid for Hackney has sent shockwaves around the Championship, but it may also have raised a few eyebrows in the Tractor Boys dressing room, and we looked at two players who may now be fearing for their futures in Suffolk.

Jack Taylor

After his impressive performances for Peterborough United in League One, Ipswich looked to have landed a bargain when they signed Jack Taylor for a fee of around £1.5 million in the summer of 2023.

Taylor was part of the Tractor Boys squad that won promotion to the Premier League in the 2023-24 season, but he made just 13 starts in all competitions during the course of the campaign as manager Kieran McKenna stuck with the partnership of Sam Morsy and Massimo Luongo that served him so well in the third tier the previous year.

Luongo fell out of favour in the top flight, but his place in the team was taken by Napoli loanee Jens Cajuste, and Taylor was limited to even fewer starts last season as McKenna named him in the XI on just four occasions, with three of those coming in the FA Cup.

After Morsy's move to Kuwait SC, Taylor would have been hoping to finally establish himself in the team next season, but should Ipswich complete a deal for Hackney, it is likely that he would start alongside Matusiwa, and the 27-year-old would again find himself restricted to largely substitute appearances.

Cameron Humphreys

Another Ipswich midfielder who would have been looking to benefit from Morsy's departure next season is Cameron Humphreys.

After making his senior debut for the Tractor Boys back in August 2021, Humphreys has not quite managed to kick on as much as he would have liked at Portman Road, but he has performed well when called upon by McKenna, with the 23-year-old scoring four goals and providing three assists in 39 senior appearances for the club so far.

With the likes of Morsy, Cajuste, Taylor and Luongo ahead of him in the midfield pecking order, Humphreys was loaned out to Wycombe Wanderers last summer, and he enjoyed an impressive season at Adams Park as he netted seven goals and registered six assists in 50 games to help the Chairboys reach the League One play-offs, where they were beaten by Charlton Athletic at the semi-final stage.

Humphreys would have been hoping that his strong performances for Wycombe would catch the eye of McKenna, but while he may still be involved with the Ipswich first team next season even if Hackney arrives, it is unlikely that he would feature regularly.