Why Middlesbrough will ignore January offers for Hayden Hackney to avoid costly past mistakes

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EFL Analysis can exclusively confirm that Middlesbrough fans should not fear a mid-season exit for their homegrown talent.

Middlesbrough have enjoyed an outstanding start to the 2025/26 Championship season with four wins from their first four league games under Rob Edwards’ stewardship.

Within the transfer window, Boro added a litany of quality to their ranks in a handful of key positions as they look to help Edwards continue their eye-catching opening form.

Edwards was overjoyed with Middlesbrough’s business given the several marquee additions to his squad, but the Boro boss will have been equally elated to see Hayden Hackney remain at Boro beyond deadline day.

With the window closed until the winter, EFL Analysis can exclusively reveal why Middlesbrough will rebuff any mid-season Premier League interest in their prized asset.

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Exclusive: Middlesbrough will ignore January offers for Hayden Hackney

The future of Boro midfielder Hackney has been a point of contention throughout the summer transfer window.

Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town agreed a deal for the England youth international, but Hackney declined Ipswich’s offer.

However, the interest in his services did not stop there, with reports emerging towards the end of the window that Wolves were eyeing a late move for Hackney.

Thankfully for Edwards, Boro maintained a firm Hackney stance on deadline day. EFL Analysis can exclusively reveal, thanks to our Chief Football Correspondent Graeme Bailey, that their intent to retain the in-demand midfielder will remain in the upcoming January window.

Bailey explained: “I don’t think it’s any different to now. It’ll mostly depend where Boro are in terms of promotion stuff.

“If they’re firmly in the mix, I very much doubt he will be going this January, but that’ll be totally dependent on where they are and how they’re shaping up and how big a part Hackney is.

“Obviously, he’s playing a huge part so far. So, it’ll be very hard to get him out.

“I would imagine, considering what happened last January when Emmanuel Latte Lath went, and as you probably could trace the way Boro fell out of promotion contention back to that sale, I think they’d be loath to do it again.”

Hackney has been outstanding so far this season for league leaders Boro, notching one goal and one assist from the first four Championship games of 2025/26.

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Middlesbrough must not repeat Emmanuel Latte Lath mistake

Last season, Boro occupied a spot in the play-off places in sixth when in-form striker Latte Lath was sold to MLS outfit Atlanta United for a £22.5m fee in the January transfer window.

The Ivorian has scored 11 goals and notched three assists in 31 outings last season under the then-Boro boss Michael Carrick, and his side’s form tailed off dramatically in the second half of the season following Latte Lath’s departure.

As quoted by The Northern Echo in May, Carrick did not place the blame for a top-six finish failure on Latte Lath’s exit, but many Boro fans would disagree.

Carrick said: “In football, you lose players at times. That’s part of it. I believe we had a good enough group.

“I don’t think it’s a one player thing. It’s about us all collectively as a group. In the end, over the course of the whole season, we ended up not getting enough to achieve what we wanted to.”

Although Latte Lath and Hackney are different roles, the Ivorian’s importance to a top-six finish then and Hackney’s pivotal role in Boro’s current promotion push are equally imperative.

In Edwards’ best Middlesbrough XI, Hackney is the first name on the team sheet, and it’s unequivocally important that his presence remains beyond the 7:00 pm deadline on February 2.