"If the right money came in" - Middlesbrough urged to stand firm over Hayden Hackney amid Porto interest | OneFootball

FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit has had his say on the bids for Hayden Hackney and FC Porto.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Middlesbrough have rejected a second bid from FC Porto for Hayden Hackney, with the 22-year-old seen as a key player for Michael Carrick.

Keith Downie of Sky Sports has revealed that an offer was rejected last week, with the midfielder now entering the last two-and-a-half years of his deal at The Riverside. Downie reports Boro see a big future for him on Teesside, but that Hackney has also received plenty of interest from English Premier League sides as well.

Downie has since reported the Portuguese giants' continued pursuit of Hackney via his X account on Monday afternoon, which has been followed up with a second attempt in an official bid believed to be in the region of £10 million.

Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham and Newcastle United have all been credited with an interest in the 22-year-old in recent times Middlesbrough will no doubt be desperate to retain his services in the January transfer window, but a big-money offer from the Premier League could prove difficult for the club to turn down.

Middlesbrough verdict issued on Porto's Hayden Hackney transfer pursuit

With Premier League interest mounting in the Redcar-born midfielder once again in the build up to this season's January transfer window, The Teessiders were reported to have slapped a £25 million valuation on him, whilst also ruling out a mid-season sale.

It is not yet clear how accurate that valuation is, but Porto's bids are well below it. FLW's Middlesbrough fan pundit Jasper Hudson has provided his reaction to the latest bid and how concerned he is that a third might be made before the deadline.

He said: "Hackney is a really integral part of our team at the minute. When he is on form and playing well, he is one of the Championship’s best midfielders.

"He’s still young but he’s got so much experience, and a lot of positives going for him. A team like Porto coming in is good for Boro. You can’t keep all of your best players forever unless you go up.

"Knowing that there is interest from top clubs sort of cements the idea that he is a good player and worth a lot of money. I can only see it as a good thing, because, this late in the window, and a club like Porto coming in for a homegrown player who has come up through the academy, I can see there being a really big fee to come with that.

"I’m happy with the club’s resolve to not sell up and say he’s not for sale. If the right money came in, it would be silly not to sell him. But it shows ambition and shows that we want to be in the Premier League and for him to be a part of that.

"If they do come back in for him, then I expect it to be for a big-money fee. At that point, you have to choose between the money or whether we are going to keep him. Which is sort of the thing we’ve been doing of developing players and selling them on for big profit with transfer sales.

"That or choose if we are going to keep him and go for the Premier League and go up this season."

Hayden Hackney's importance to Michael Carrick and Middlesbrough

So much of Carrick's tactical approach relies on his engine room operating soundly and efficiently, as he's all about dominating possession and controlling the tempo of matches. That was how he dictated games as a player, with Hackney key to his approach now as a manager.

In many ways, this is a make-or-break year for Middlesbrough when it comes to Hackney’s future. If they can gain promotion, then surely he will remain at the Riverside and compete in the top-flight in Carrick’s side. Without that, it is likely that he departs in the summer.

Hackney's ability to move the ball quickly and effectively makes him the perfect tempo-setter for Carrick's possession-based philosophy, and is something that he is well-renowned for. They need him for the run-in during the second half of the season and a sale on deadline day would be lunacy at this stage.