Hayden-hackney
West Ham United are weighing up a move to sign Middlesbrough’s highly rated defensive midfielder Hayden Hackney this summer, according to GIVEMESPORT.
Since making his first team debut in the FA Cup third-round match against Brentford in January 2021, the 23-year-old has been one of the standout players not just for Boro but in the EFL Championship over the last two seasons.
He was a key player for Michael Carrick last season, featuring in 44 games across all competitions as the North Yorkshire outfit lost out on playoff qualification by just five points.
His consistent displays in the middle of the park for Boro have not gone unnoticed, with several clubs courting his progress over a potential move.
West Ham have now emerged as the latest club to express interest in the England U21 star, as GIVEMESPORT claims that the East London club are weighing up a possible swoop to sign him this summer to bolster Graham Potter’s midfield ranks.
The defensive midfield ace has been earmarked as a market opportunity who could be available at a bargain price, and the Hammers are now plotting a swoop to sign him this summer, according to the report.
Combative midfielder
The report adds that Hackney rebuffed a chance to sign for Ipswich Town despite Middlesbrough accepting the Tractor Boys’ £20m bid. West Ham are now looking to take advantage of the situation by starting formal talks to sign the Englishman, especially after his strong start to the new season.
As was evident for much of last season, West Ham’s midfield was overrun in their 3-0 defeat to Sunderland on the opening weekend of the Premier League.
They lacked both solidity and creativity, with the Black Cats finding it far too easy to play through the middle. The Hammers rarely posed any threat, as Sunderland’s enigmatic midfield trio of Granit Xhaka, Noah Sidiki, and Habib Diarra consistently shut down their advances.
Ordinarily, such shortcomings could be addressed by working harder on the training ground, but with Edson Álvarez’s imminent exit set to weaken the squad further, the transfer market now appears to be their only realistic solution.
With a £20m valuation, Hackney would be a viable option to reinforce Potter’s midfield and provide the much-needed combativeness they’ve lacked since last season.
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