Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards says the ball is in Hayden Hackney’s court as to whether the midfielder joins the Blues or stays with the Teessiders.

On Tuesday, TWTD was first to reveal that Boro had accepted a £15 million offer from Town for the 23-year-old after discussions over the past few weeks.

Hackney is still to make up his mind on the switch, Premier League clubs having been expected to move for him this summer, however, it’s understood none have made an approach.

Asked about the offer having been accepted and the situation as it stands when interviewed on BBC Radio Teesside this evening, Edwards said: “I can’t really say any more than that. The ball, so to speak, is probably in H’s court now, and that’s where we stand.”

Quizzed on how he’d feel in the two scenarios of Hackney joining the Blues or staying at the Riverside, Edwards added: “I think it’s a win-win. I think people can be calm about the whole situation, I’ll reassure them as well, if H is here, then he’s a brilliant player and he’s ours, which is great. If he’s not, there will be funds available.”

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 last 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.

Photo: MI News via Reuters Connect

bluelad7 added 19:35 - Jul 31 See you at PR Hayden. You won’t regret it.
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danchances22 added 19:36 - Jul 31 Feel like this is going to be like the Armando Broja and Latte Lath saga over again. He either wants to come here or he doesnt. We can’t be left on a knife edge whether he wants to join or not. We need reinforcements in that area pretty sharpish with only a week until kick off. Give him a deadline to make a decision and if no decision is made then pull out the deal and find someone who isn’t waiting for a premier league club to come calling.

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algarvefan added 19:39 - Jul 31 How difficult can it be to decide?? Come on Hayden get it done.
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jas0999 added 19:39 - Jul 31 We have a shortfall of 3 x CM and still haven’t replaced Delap. I hope we are well advanced in discussions with players with just a week until kick off. The CM situation looked particularly weak against Charlton. If we let Morsy go and have no one else in by Birmingham, that would be a big mismanagement.
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DannyITFC added 19:40 - Jul 31 This is starting to become a fiasco, give him a deadline to sign and and if he’s still undecided let’s move on instead of wasting valuable time on a lost cause. Hopefully he sees sense and realises no premier club is coming for him and Town is the next best bet certainly under KM.
7

muccletonjoe added 19:41 - Jul 31 We need to move on , if he hasn't made his mind up by tomorrow. We have a squad to build, it can't be relying on one player.
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Gforce added 19:42 - Jul 31 Just wish he'd make his mind up one way or the other it's dragged on long enough now. The season starts in 8 days,it's about time we had 2 or 3 over the line.
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flykickingbybgunn added 19:47 - Jul 31 It is down to H. Stay at Boro and go nowhere or join us and play with a better team and of course learn under KMcK.
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blues1 added 19:48 - Jul 31 Gforce. Dragged on a long time? What, 2 days since we made an offer and it was accepted?
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blueboy1981 added 19:48 - Jul 31 What people should realise is that we as a Club are not the attraction to players that we were 12 months ago - not all will jump at the chance of joining, unless it suits their situation to fo so !
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urbanpenguin added 19:48 - Jul 31 I think it was better in the old days when there wasn't online, social, and plane-tracking updates meaning we fans think we know everything about everything when, in face, we know nothing and actually we only see the swan on the surface and not all the underwater legwork. The constant churn of nonsense and everybody thinking buying a player (with a life, family, mortgage, ambition) it's like Football Manager means it's kind of tortuous to see the drivel relentlessly poured out by people. It's summer, have a Pimm's in the garden and chill, the club will manage their job without needing to check on message boards to be told what to do next by randoms.

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blues1 added 19:52 - Jul 31 Jas0999. Wedding not have a shortfall of 3 midfielders at all. 4 gone, 2 in ,with Humphteys back. And likely only gonna want one more. Be hard keeping 4 happy, so if we were to get 2 more, be even harder, at chasmpionship level. So if we werecto get 2 more, i expect Humphries would go out on loan again.
1

bluesissy added 19:52 - Jul 31 Ive had it on good authority that harden is in Suffolk....watch this space.
2

bluesissy added 19:55 - Jul 31 Hayden
0

Baino added 19:56 - Jul 31 He'd be a great signing, so fingers crossed. He's looking at his options. I hope he's just being sensible and making sure he's on board with the right project and isn't a billy big b0ll0cks type and thinks he is better than he is, which I'm sure he's not I would add and he probably is just being sensible and thinking over what is right for him.l at this point in his career......which clearly is us! Hahaha!

1

ITFCkyle1878 added 20:06 - Jul 31 Do we even know, for definite, if he’s actually come down for talks today?
0

Leutard added 20:06 - Jul 31 I can't blame him for seeing what's out there re prem moves. The potential income is just so wild that I'm not sure I could ever put myself in his shoes, and given he's leaving his boyhood club I suppose it doesn't feel like it makes a massive difference which club he moves to from there - the sentimental part is already gone. Selfishly wish he would hurry up though!
7

Bert added 20:09 - Jul 31 Time for calm heads. Anybody in his position would want to mull over a move to another championship club if others are telling him he is PL quality. Add in the fact that he has spent all his time in the north there are probably family considerations as well. I’m sure that there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Town never give a running commentary so we will have to wait until TWTD are tipped of…… either way.

11

Marcus added 20:17 - Jul 31 For those who watched Line of Duty... now we know
3

warky_1970 added 20:17 - Jul 31 Not going to happen. He would have signed by now if he wanted to be here. Seen it all before.
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DavoIPB added 20:20 - Jul 31 Have to agree warky. Not a particularly good look having us as a kind of back up last resort type of deal.
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JewellintheTown added 20:24 - Jul 31 Some right impatient drama queens on here, but there are also many level headed fans on here too. I'm with the latter & hoping patience will be rewarded. I'd sooner he take his time & then commit whole heartedly than make a rash decision either way. Some on here act too impatiently & want to move on. To who?! I'm sure the staff have lots of other irons in the fire, they're not just twiddling their thumbs waiting impatiently. Some think they know everything but the staff know between them, 97% of what's going on. The final few % is in the players head & they're keeping it to themselves. Be patient, stop worrying, let the real experts do their jobs based on all the info we don't know. It'll be manic in there. They'll sort it at the pace it needs to be sorted & move on for now iif need be.

5

oioihardy added 20:30 - Jul 31 Do you blame the kid for maybe holding out for a prem club ?? He has no support for ipswich or love for the club at this stage its just another job to him . He will see what's out there first before making a decision . Going to prem more money , higher quality of players he can train with and possibly play with depending on what team he goes to if he gets first team football on prem . With ipswich he will get every minute of every game because we need him desperately. If it was me I'd pick ipswich all day long but thats because I love the club . That's the difference between us and him . Just have some patience see what happens

5

WestSussexBlue added 20:30 - Jul 31 It’s a huge decision not just for him but for family too. Making the right choices as a young player is important so let’s give the lad time but not held to ransom. As clubs go however with the owners and ambition as well as Kmc, he could do a hell of a lot worse than come to PR.
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ITFCSG added 20:31 - Jul 31 @JewellintheTown Level headed? We had to strengthen in Jan to ensure the best chance of scraping 17th and look who we signed. The past few transfer windows with over-fixation on certain players, deadline day desperation signings coupled with our weak overseas scouting network has resulted in our failure to improve our midfield and strike force. Now with almost the entire midfield gone and only one decent striker how do you think we can be competitive next season? Depend on Jack Taylor and Humphreys? Play Szmodics as a 9?

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