Liverpool could be set to face added competition for one talented youngster who’s reportedly on the transfer radar at Anfield.
According to the Evening Standard, Tottenham are expected to join the race for Hayden Hackney, the Middlesbrough midfielder who’s also attracted attention from the Reds and both Manchester clubs.
The Teesside outfit are prepared to receive offers for the 21-year-old in January but will only sell him this month if a ‘sensational’ bid is made, and the player is thought to be in no rush to exit the Riverside Stadium, although his current employers have accepted that his eventual departure is inevitable.
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Hackney made headlines on Tuesday night by scoring Middlesbrough’s goal in their 1-0 win over Chelsea, which has put them on the brink of a Carabao Cup final appearance if they can come through the semi-final second leg at Stamford Bridge.
A couple of Liverpool players already know the midfielder well, with Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah having both played alongside him for England’s under-21s over the past year (Transfermarkt).
The 21-year-old is renowned as ‘a technically gifted defensive midfielder who can break the press by driving through the middle of the pitch’ (Evening Standard), while his nationality would help the Reds to meet homegrown quota requirements for their domestic and European squads.
Hackney’s Carabao Cup heroics are bound to thrust him into the limelight for several other prospective suitors, so Anfield chiefs may need to move quickly if they want to secure the youngster’s services.
With Middlesbrough one match away from a Wembley day out and just four points off the play-offs in the Championship, there’s plenty of incentive for the midfielder to remain loyal to Michael Carrick’s side for now.
However, should they fall short against Chelsea later this month and miss out on promotion, he could then jump at the opportunity to try his luck in the Premier League. Whether or not that’s with Liverpool is anyone’s guess.
#Ep98 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️