Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney has become an huge fan favourite in just a season-and-a-half. But he may soon attract transfer interest.
At least that’s the verdict of Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott.
In a recent interview, the Boro chief outlined what he thinks is ‘inevitable’ future transfer interest in the likes of Hackney and fellow Middlesbrough man Rav van den Berg.
Michael Carrick and co should quickly start planning for a future without Hackney then, with promotion to the Premier League still looking like a way away.
The club might have some big money to spend in the summer after the deadline day sale of Morgan Rogers, but Carrick might already have the perfect, long-term replacement.
Finn Cartwright could be long-term Middlesbrough heir
One name making an impression in the Middlesbrough youth ranks right now is Finn Cartwright.
The 16-year-old England U17s man, who hails from Redcar along with Hackney, has been with the Boro youth academy since the age of six and made his first-team debut in the Carabao Cup earlier this season.
He’s since been linked with a surprising move to Chelsea, though those links quickly went cold.
Cartwright though is a very exciting prospect, and after handing him his debut back in August, Carrick said when asked what he likes about the midfielder:
“I think the natural ability, he always looks like he’s got time on the ball and has trained with us a fair bit over pre-season. But I’m conscious of the age he’s at. He’s a great kid and he’s got great talent, so we want to try and get the best out of him.”
Carrick also went on to describe him as a ‘quality’ individual.
Hayden Hackney has shown Cartwright the path at Boro
Hackney has shown a lot of class and maturity in his early Middlesbrough days. He’s featured 19 times in the Championship this season after his impressive breakthrough campaign last year, and when fit, he’s one of the first name son the teamsheet.
And coming through the Boro ranks and into the first-team under Carrick also shows players like Cartwright that there is a pathway for them at the Riverside.
It could tempt Cartwright to stick about at the club; with Hackney potentially leaving in the summer, it could mean that Cartwright is brought up into the first-team picture sooner than expected.
Carrick would do well to give him some game time in the latter part of this season so that Cartwright could potentially play a role next season, although he is still very young and inexperienced, so patience is needed.
But Cartwright certainly has the attributes of a top midfielder, as Carrick alluded too, and he could be an exciting long-term heir to Hackney who could very soon be a Premier League player.