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Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly been keeping a close eye on a midfielder who is continuing to impress in the Championship this season.
Tottenham have had success in signing players from the English football’s second tier over recent years, with Djed Spence becoming one of Spurs’ important players after a difficult start to his career in North London.
Archie Gray has been backed to do big things at Spurs by Thomas Frank, with the 19-year-old arriving at N17 on the back of his breakout season in Leeds in the Championship.
It has now emerged that Tottenham are continuing to keep a close eye on a young English midfielder, who, alongside Gray, was part of the England U21 squad which won the Euro U21 championship in the summer.
Tottenham are watching Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney closely
Former Spurs scout Mick Brown has now revealed that the Lilywhites have been scouting Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney closely this season.
The 23-year-old continues to go from strength to strength at the Riverside Stadium, and Brown is of the opinion that he is ready to make the step up to the Premier League.
The experienced scout told Football Insider: “Hackney is going to be on the radar of a lot of clubs. He’s probably as talented a player as there is in the Championship at the moment, and I was really impressed by him the first time I saw him.
“He’s got a great picture of the game around him, can take the ball in tight areas and find passes to get him team moving up the pitch. More recently, I’ve seen little bits of him on the TV and it looks like he’s still playing to a high level for Middlesbrough and is an important player there.
“Whether they’d be willing to let him go, I’m not sure, but he’s definitely got enough talent and enough about him to make the step up to the Premier League. I’m told Tottenham Hotspur have been watching him, and I expect they’ve been impressed by his performances, so they could be the ones to make a move.
“I still think he has room to improve, but I think he’d be able to go to a team like Tottenham and strengthen their squad and work his way into the starting XI.”
Spurs have had their eye on Hayden Hackney for a long time
The North London club’s interest in the Boro man is not new. In fact, it was reported in the summer window that Spurs were eyeing a £25m move for Hackney, which never materialised.
However, Thomas Frank’s men will not have a free run at the 23-year-old, with Tottenham expected to face competition from across Europe for Hackney.
The midfielder’s current deal at the Riverside Stadium runs out in 2027, which means that a January sale could be on the cards.
However, Boro currently sit second in the Championship, and they would be tempted to hang onto their star man to aid their promotion push.
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