Town are reportedly willing to pay Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney ÂŁ35,000-a-week, TWTD having revealed that the Blues had made an approach for the 23-year-old almost a fortnight ago.
As previously reported, Hackney has been on Town’s radar all summer but with the interest stepped up a couple of weeks ago. We understand progress has been made on the move since then.
Now, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon on his Patreon page, the Blues are willing to pay Hackney £35,000 if he completes a move to Portman Road in a £20 million deal, a higher sum than was initially offered.
Premier League interest had been expected in Hackney this summer with the player keen to move to the top flight, but, as we revealed, none has shown the same level of interest as the Blues.
Yesterday, Hackney was left out of the Boro side which drew 2-2 with Rangers at Ibrox due to a minor injury, which manager Rob Edwards insisted had nothing to do with the Redcar-born schemer’s future.
"H felt a little bit of pain in the back of his knee yesterday and at the minute, we can’t risk anything,” he told Teesside Live.
"We wouldn’t want to do that with any player at this time. It’s nothing to do with anything transfer-wise. There was genuine pain there and Reidy [head physio Adam Reid] said it’s just not worth the risk.
"We kept him at home where he’s able to get some treatment. Listen, we have got good players and there is always going to be interest and speculation. But this one was genuinely just a bit of pain in the knee and is genuinely nothing to worry about.”
Despite having signed Dutchman Azor Matusiwa from Rennes in France, the Blues are in the market for more central midfielders with loanees Jens Cajuste and Kalvin Phillips having moved on at the end of the season, Massimo Luongo released before joining Millwall and skipper Sam Morsy switching to Kuwait SC earlier in the week.
One-time Scunthorpe loanee Hackney, who is contracted until the summer of 2027, came through the youth system at Boro, his local club, having joined the club as an U10.
He was part of the England U21s squad which won the European Championships in Slovakia last month alongside Town forward Omari Hutchinson.
Meanwhile, Nixon is also linking the Blues with Scotland international striker Oli McBurnie, but with his former club Swansea said to be winning the race for the 29-year-old.
McBurnie, who is also said to be interesting Hull City, has been with Las Palmas in Spain having signed a three-year deal last July, but is a free agent following their relegation from La Liga.
He left Sheffield United last summer on a free transfer, having joined the Blades from the Swans for a fee which eventually totalled around ÂŁ20Â million in July 2019.
While the Blues are on the lookout for another striker, probably two, before the window closes, it would be a surprise if they moved for McBurnie.