Middlesbrough reject approach for midfielder Hayden Hackney amid links to Newcastle United - Sky Sports
Newcastle United are thought to be amongst a list of Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.
The England Under-21 star has been on Newcastle's radar for a while, and yesterday those links surfaced again.
It came after Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg admitted that Hayden Hackney is 'too good' to be at Middlesbrough.
Newcastle are keen to add a young midfielder with massive potential to their ranks, with an eye on AZ Alkmaar's Kees Smit as well as Hackney.
Nottingham Forest have been knocked back with their approach for Hayden Hackney
Hayden Hackney will enter the final year of his contract at Middlesbrough in the summer which puts immense pressure on the promotion hopefuls.
However, they aren't feeling that pressure yet, it seems, as Keith Downie has reported today that Boro have rejected an approach from Nottingham Forest for the 23-year-old.
Middlesbrough want Hackney to stay with them until at least the summer as they push Coventry for top spot in the Championship.
Would Newcastle have sprung to life if Middlesbrough hinted that Hackney could be on the move?
We have to wonder, if Forest were granted permission to speak to Hackney, would they have sprung into action to try and steal the deal or just let another player slip through their fingers?
The window closes at 7 pm tonight, and, honestly, I'm glad because staying up til 11 pm knowing that there's going to be nothing to write about is so annoying. I'm part man, part mattress, I need my bed!
Hopefully, we enter the race for Hackney in the summer. It's a lot of energy we've put into scouting him over the last couple of years to just watch other clubs fight over him.
