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Manchester United are among the Premier League powerhouses watching Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney and their interest is reportedly stronger than that of bitter rivals Man City.
The Daily Mail reported at the end of November that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, once he completes his 25 per cent takeover at Old Trafford, will task of the club’s new recruitment team with bringing in the best homegrown talent from all across English football.
Do not be surprised, then, to see Manchester United prioritise the likes of Ivan Toney, Marc Guehi and Jarrad Branthwaite in future windows, with players lower down the footballing pyramid also catching the eye.
The Mail have thrown a new name into Ratcliffe’s British-focused frame. That of Hayden Hackney.
Manchester United in Hayden Hackney race
It is understood that every one of the Premier League’s traditional ‘big six’ clubs have sent scouts to the Riverside, and Manchester United are believed to be more interested than their blue-clad neighbours as things stand.
Hackney, capped by England at Under 21 level, is arguably the most complete young midfielder outside of the top-flight, although he faces competition from Blackburn Rovers’ Adam Wharton for that particular throne.
The Redcar-born local lad is Middlesbrough’s reigning Young Player of the Year. And the presence of Michael Carrick on the Boro touchline is doing his development no harm, Hackney going from strength-to-strength under the United legend and one of the 21st century’s finest playmakers.
Michael Carrick is a big fan
“There is a real confidence in his own ability without showing any arrogance whatsoever. I just really love the way he goes about his business,” Carrick, a member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 2008 Champions League winning squad, tells Teesside Live.
“He is quiet, but he’s got a real steeliness about him. He wants to take the ball, have the ball and make things happen all the time.
“At this moment in time, we couldn’t ask anything more of him.”
According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Middlesbrough value Hackney at around £10 million. That price-tag should soar upwards, however, if a bidding war breaks out between England’s most deep-pocketed clubs.
The Mail, meanwhile, believe that a summer departure is more likely than a January one at present.
