Hayden Hackney has been linked with a late summer move to Wolvesplaceholder image
Hayden Hackney has been linked with a late summer move to Wolves | Getty Images/ Canva
Wolves are expected to be active in the final days of the summer window
Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced a challenging first summer transfer window under Vitor Pereira after the sales of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha as well as the departure of club captain Nelson Semedo. They’ve also had a tough start on the pitch. After two games they sit 19th in the league table after losing to Manchester City and Bournemouth, and are still yet to score a single league goal.
However, Wolves have shown signs that they can still get their season on track this week after fighting back from a goal down to beat West Ham 3-2 in the League Cup, while there’s also a renewed sense of optimism that the club can retain the services of talismanic striker Jorgen Strand Larsen after rejecting two bids from Newcastle United for the Norwegian forward.
The ‘terrific’ £30m midfielder Wolves could sign this summer
According to Football League World, Wolves have now submitted a bid worth £30m to sign in-demand Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney.
The Redcar-born midfielder came through the academy with Boro and is rapidly emerging as one of the most coveted young footballers in the Championship. Hackney was part of the Middlesbrough team that reached the under-18 Premier League Cup final in 2019 and was rewarded with his first professional contract that same year. He was praised heavily for his outstanding performances for the Under-23s by Jonathan Woodgate at the time but had to wait a couple more years to make his professional debut in January 2021. He developed his game with a loan spell in League Two with struggling side Scunthorpe United before breaking into the Middlesbrough setup as a real regular in the 2022/23 season.
Hackney has now played 117 games for his boyhood club across all competitions, including 102 at Championship level. He has a record of 11 goals and 10 assists across all competitions and has been capped 13 times for England at Under-21 level, forming part of the team which won the European Championships in Slovakia under Lee Carsley. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with the likes of Ipswich Town and West Bromwich Albion throughout the summer but could well have the potential to make the jump up to the Premier League in the coming weeks.
What would Hayden Hackney bring to Wolves?
Hayden Hackeny is a deep-lying defensive midfield playmaker with great ability to break up the play and create chances for his teammates. He made 93 tackles last season, the 14th most in the Championship, and made 61 blocks which was the sixth most in the division. He’s also calm in possession, with the most short passes in the league last term and the fourth most completed through balls of any player in the league. Hackney was once compared to his former manager Michael Carrick for his ability to dictate the midfield battle and his way of facilitating possession seamlessly from defence to attack.
“Hayden Hackney plays like his manager Michael Carrick – with or without Middlesbrough, he appears destined for the top,” said the Athletic’s Nancy Frostick in 2023.
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