Tottenham are set to face competition from Crystal Palace to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney
Before the opening of the summer transfer window, reports suggested that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy was keen to make a ‘marquee signing’ after the club’s Europa League success and subsequent qualification to the Champions League. So far, however, Levy has not lived up to his promise, putting the club in danger of missing out on intended transfer targets.
Thomas Frank, who built a strong reputation with his work over seven years at Brentford, has a massive task on his shoulders at Tottenham. The Dane certainly cannot compete on multiple fronts with the same squad that managed to end last season just a place above the relegation zone.
The Lilywhites need to strengthen their midfield department as well as add depth to the squad. With the club looking to move on Yves Bissouma, Rodrigo Bentancur entering the final year of his contract, and both James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski unlikely to be fit for the start of the season due to long-term knee injury problems, Spurs need to bring in a competent central midfielder.
Tottenham are keen on signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney
Tottenham are keen on signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney
This has perhaps seen them being linked with a move for Middlesbrough talent Hayden Hackney. The 23-year-old has made very impressive progress working under former Tottenham and Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick at Middlesbrough in recent years, and as a result, he has entered the transfer market as a coveted commodity.
Now, according to an exclusive report from The Sun, Crystal Palace are set to rival Tottenham for the signing of £15million-rated Hayden Hackney. In fact, they are eyeing a double raid on Middlesbrough after scouting his Dutch teammate Rav van den Berg at the recently concluded Under-21 European Championship.
Hackney was a part of the England Under-21’s triumphant squad in Slovakia. The Young Lions defended their crown after beating Germany 3-2 in the final after extra-time. The 23-year-old was an unused substitute in the final against Germany, but did grab the assist which set up Harvey Elliott to score the winning goal in the semi-final against the Netherlands.
Tottenham face competition from Crystal Palace for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney
After a strong season in the Championship which saw him feature in 43 games, there was always going to be interest in the England youth international. Spurs will not have a straight path towards signing Hackney as they now face competition from London rivals Crystal Palace, who will play in the Europa League next season after winning the FA Cup in May. But Tottenham will have Champions League football to lure the Boro talent to N17.
More Tottenham Hotspur News:
At 23, Hackney still has plenty of time to continue his development at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and become a long-term addition to the midfield unit after the arrivals of Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall last summer. Now that Palace are considering a move for him, Spurs must up their ante and try persuading him to North London.