Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly among three Premier League teams to have taken an interest in signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney this summer.
The Lilywhites' top-flight season is surely a write-off at this point, as they find themselves in a humbling 14th place in the Premier League table with just nine matches left to play.
However, Ange Postecoglou's side are still going strong in the Europa League, where they will face 2021-22 winners Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals next month.
Spurs would earn a direct ticket to the 2025-26 Champions League should they triumph in Europe's second-tier competition, which should still allow Postecoglou and Daniel Levy to attract top young talents.
One of those emerging stars is Hackney, the 22-year-old Middlesbrough midfielder who is thriving at the Riverside Stadium, where he has managed five goals and two assists in 35 Championship games this season.
Spurs to battle Aston Villa for Hackney signing?
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Hackney has also worn the captain's armband on several occasions for Middlesbrough, who are in contention for the playoffs as they lie eighth in the Championship table, three points off the top six.
The 22-year-old's contract only runs until the summer of 2027, though, and according to Football Insider, Tottenham are one of three Premier League teams keeping a close eye on developments.
The report adds that there is a 'growing feeling' that Hackney will be ready for Premier League football next season, whether that be with Middlesbrough if they achieve promotion or a current top-flight team.
Spurs will supposedly face competition from Aston Villa and Crystal Palace to sign Hackney, though, and Middlesbrough are hopeful that an increasing number of interested clubs could help spark a bidding war.
The midfielder came through the youth ranks at Middlesbrough, having joined the club in 2011, and he has now made 105 appearances for the club in all competitions, managing 10 goals and eight assists.
Could Spurs have an ace up their sleeve in Hackney negotiations?
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Hackney could hardly be in better hands at Middlesbrough, where he is being managed by ex-Spurs and Manchester United man Michael Carrick, an accomplished midfielder in his own playing heyday.
Carrick represented Tottenham for two seasons between 2004 and 2006, and it was a White Hart Lane where he truly made a name for himself and attracted the attention of Man United.
Spurs can therefore feel hopeful about their former lynchpin putting in a good word for them as they target Hackney as a possible replacement for Yves Bissouma, whom they are said to be open to selling.
The Mali international will enter the last 12 months of his deal this summer, but as well as Hackney, Tottenham are reportedly contemplating a swoop for a £50m-rated Premier League midfielder.
Ben Knapton
