Tottenham Hotspur have added another player from the Championship to their summer shortlist as they eye Middlesbrough’s young talent.
This summer is going to offer Ange Postecoglou the opportunity to fine-tune his squad having already seen some major changes in less than 12 months at the club.
Tottenham have secured themselves a spot back in Europe for next season which will provide them with some extra weight behind them in the transfer window.
The Australian has already admitted the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is going to see some change over the coming months with player turnover.
A number of players are already being linked with a move away from north London which would leave Spurs with work to do in bringing players in ahead of a busier campaign.
The Spurs News understands Middlesbrough’s Rav van den Berg is a player who has emerged as a potential defensive target ahead of the summer.
However, it now seems he may not be the only player on Teesside who is attracting the Lilywhites’ attention.
Tottenham keen on midfielder Michael Carrick has developed
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is one of the players who is expected to move on from Hotspur Way this summer following a dismal campaign under Postecoglou.
The Dane is clearly not in the Australian’s thinking with his game time dramatically reduced and has already been offered to AC Milan by his agent.
Midfield is an area that Postecoglou is looking to add to with the likes of Conor Gallagher already linked with interest from the Lilywhites.
But it now seems there is another potential option which is emerging as a player who Tottenham are keen on after watching him under Michael Carrick.
According to The Northern Echo, Spurs are really looking to Boro’s young players as a source of potential transfer business this summer.
Alongside Van den Berg, Spurs are now believed to be eyeing the 21-year-old midfielder Hayden Hackney from the Riverside.
It is claimed Tottenham’s interest in the defensive midfielder is long-standing and the Lilywhites scouted him considerably throughout the 2022/23 campaign.
Although Hackney missed the majority of the second half of the 2023/24 season through injury, it is not expected to hinder Tottenham’s interest.
What Michael Carrick has said about Hayden Hackney
The 21-year-old is playing under one of England’s finest midfielders from the Premier League era in the former Spurs man.
And it is apparent Carrick is doing fantastic work on Teesside in developing the youngsters which are clearly catching the eyes of some Premier League sides.
A move to a side playing in Europe would be a huge step up for Hackney if Spurs are to make the move, but he is a player who Carrick has waxed lyrical about already.
“Hayden has been terrific since I came and the couple of games before that he played really well. That’s kind of how it works, you get rewarded for your good work,” Carrick told The Northern Echo after Hackney was handed his new deal in 2022.
“He fully deserves it. He’s been a credit to himself and his family with the way he’s handled it.”
A big part of Tottenham’s interest in Hackney could come after missing the boat for the now Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.
The Englishman has taken to the Premier League in stunning fashion and has shown the big clubs in the league just what they were not willing to take the gamble on.
Hackney is a player who has really impressed at Boro and perhaps is looking like a player who Spurs feel is worth taking a punt on.