Nottingham Forest are one of several Premier League club to have watched Middlesbrough youngster Hayden Hackney. The Reds will be joined in the race by Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle and Leicester City as the summer transfer window beckons.
Hackney is a wanted man, according to 90Min. Boro have missed out on promotion to the top-flight this season following their play-off defeat to Coventry and now they’re at the mercy of bigger clubs over their top stars.
Despite his tender years, he made 44 appearances during 2022/23, scoring four goals and claiming six assists. He was also shown 13 yellow cards to showcase a tenacious side to his game.
Forest will go in search of some new players now that Premier League survival has been secured. The Reds face Crystal Palace on Sunday but then attention will turn to the transfer market.
Steve Cooper will hope to snare Hackney from the clutches of bigger clubs. One thing in Forest’s favour could be the amount of senior football they could give him.
Hackney has earned praise from Michael Carrick this season. After he penned a new deal at Boro he was called ‘terrific’, with Carrick believing it was the right thing for the player to do.
Forest have watched Hackney and he could be a useful signing
A new number six would be ideal from a Forest perspective. Cheikhou Kouyate isn’t getting any younger, whilst Remo Freuler looks better suited to playing in a possession-based outfit.
Having another young midfielder in the squad wouldn’t be a bad thing. Despite his tender years, the player would arrive with plenty of experience under his belt.
Whether he could immediately step up to Premier League football would remain to be seen. However, he’d be a risk worth taking given that Boro won’t be in a position to reject any reasonable offers for him.