1 Jun 2026 11:09 BST |
5 min read
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick is ready to revisit Middlesbrough to sign Hayden Hackney in a move designed to bolster the Old Trafford side’s midfield.
United will sign at least two central midfielders this summer, with one marquee signing expected to be joined by Atalanta star Ederson, who is poised to become Carrick’s first signing for the Red Devils.
But United are also exploring the possibility of snapping up Hackney, who is a player Carrick knows well from his time at the Riverside Stadium – and who was the standout midfielder in the Championship last season at Boro.
Man Utd face Hackney competition
Carrick is ‘championing’ a move for Hackney but faces competition from Everton, Crystal Palace and Tottenham, The Northern Echo reports. The 23-year-old is out of contract at the end of next season, and United see him as a ‘long-term investment’ for their project.
Despite being out of contract next summer, Hackney’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) sits at €27.1 million, which is in line with Middlesbrough’s asking price of around €23-29m.
Carrick is a manager with whom Hackney has a strong bond, giving United a strong edge in any transfer battle.
Speaking after the Man Utd boss was sacked by Middlesbrough last summer, Hackney said: “He’s done loads for me. He put his trust in me to play the majority of games and helped me so much with everything really. I can’t thank him enough for that.”
Why does Carrick want Hackney at Man Utd?
Hackney was the standout midfielder in the Championship by some distance last season and was by some distance the best player in his role offensively, according to data analytics firm SciSports.
Operating in a box-to-box style, his ability to impact the game from the heart of the park was formidable as he chalked up five goals and seven assists across the league campaign in 39 appearances. One area in which he particularly shone was his ball carrying, as he registered an average of 14.71 compared to a league average of 5.0. Highlighting his ability to be a fulcrum of the Boro side, he averaged 62.3 passes against a league average of 28.
Physically, he was also enormous for Boro. Both in terms of speed and stamina, he registered well above the Championship average.
A calculated risk
Carrick sees Hackney as a player for the future at United, but he turns 24 later this month, suggesting that the Old Trafford boss sees him as something of a late bloomer.
SciSports certainly casts some doubt over his ability to make an impact with the Red Devils immediately. It calculates a SciSkill for every player based upon in-game statistics, and though Hackney rates impressively among his Championship peers, the suggestion is that he would struggle for game time when making the step up.
Hackney scores a 77.1 in terms of his SciSkill, with a potential ceiling calculated at 93.2. Putting this into context, Manuel Ugarte, who he would likely replace in Carrick’s roster, sits at 93.0 currently while Casemiro is on 102.3.
With a year left on his contract, though, he could still prove a relatively low-cost gamble, and there is perhaps no manager out there better capable of maximising his potential than Carrick. If Hackney is going to make the move to a big club, now appears to be the time to do it, and Man Utd looks as good a bet as any.
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