Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney made headlines for his side this week by scoring the winner in Boro’s shock 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg victory on Tuesday and it appears that his recent performances haven’t gone unnoticed.
According to a report from the Evening Standard, Premier League side Tottenham are the latest club to show interest in the 21-year-old, with rivals Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all also thought to be thinking of a move. However, it is believed that a move for Hackney will be more likely in the summer window, unless Michael Carrick’s side receive a sensational offer for one of their key players.
EFL 72 says:Carrick has been instrumental in Hackney’s development at the Riverside and will be gutted to lose a player of his quality mid-season, especially after his performance against Chelsea. However, you’d think a substantial offer would be hard to turn down and it just depends on whether one of those Premier League sides are willing to part with their cash.
Top flight clubs queuing up for Clarke
Another Championship star currently being tracked by Premier League clubs is Sunderland winger Jack Clarke, who was yesterday linked with a move to West Ham. However, it has since been revealed that fellow London clubs, Crystal Palace and Brentford, are interested in a deal for the 23-year-old.
A report in the Evening Standard states that the three London clubs are amongst five top flight sides tracking Clarke in this window, with Burnley reportedly having had a £15m bid rejected for him last summer. Sunderland will no doubt want to keep hold of who many consider to be the club’s main man, but it is believed that a bid north of £20m could tempt them into negotiations.
EFL 72 says:As we’ve mentioned previously. Clarke is one of the league’s leading players and it is no surprise to see a queue of Premier League clubs emerging for his signature. Even if he remains in the North East post-January, it would be a real surprise to see him stay in the Championship next season so it could be a matter of holding out for the right price.
