The ‘inevitable’ £20m transfer which could see Newcastle snatch a star player from a local rival
A long-standing Newcastle transfer target is expected to be on the move this summer - but is he what they really need?
Eddie Howe has some rethinking to do this summer. A subpar season has raised plenty of questions about Newcastle United’s recruitment and their managers’ tactics, and the likelihood that key players such as Anthony Gordon leave means that the squad as a whole will probably require a shake-up. But it’s the Magpies midfield which may need the most careful recalibration.
Newcastle are likely to let Joe Willock leave and there is widespread interest in Sandro Tonali. Joelinton, meanwhile, seems to have slowed down and there is mounting evidence that some fresh blood may be needed. That could push one long-standing transfer target to the top of their shortlist: Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney.
Newcastle have once again been linked with a transfer bid for Hayden Hackney
Newcastle have been linked with Hackney in the past, so The Chronicle’s new story which suggests that the club have had scouts watching in recent matches isn’t necessarily unexpected. But after months of speculation about Hackney’s future, it does finally seem likely that he will leave the Riverside Stadium.
With Middlesbrough out of the Championship play-offs – pending the outcome of the disciplinary hearing convened to sort out Southampton’s alleged spying, at least – it’s more than likely than Hackney, who is set to enter the final year of his contract on Teesside, will leave the club and make the step up to the Premier League.
That was certainly the impression that was given by the player when he was the last to leave the field after the 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the play-off semi-finals, seemingly giving the Middlesbrough fans a lingering farewell before heading to the dressing room. Teesside Live reporter Craig Johns, meanwhile, has described his departure in the summer as “inevitable.”
Last summer, Ipswich Town had an offer worth a reported £20m accepted only for Hackney to decide to stay with Middlesbrough for another season, which gives us a fair approximation of his value in the transfer market. It’s certainly likely that he’s within Newcastle’s financial wheelhouse, and his playing style should suit Howe’s aggressive tactics.
The biggest barrier to a move to Newcastle – aside, of course, from the possibility that they choose to focus their attention elsewhere – is that they are far from the only side monitoring him. Nottingham Forest are known admirers who failed with a bid back in January, while Leeds and (less plausibly) Manchester United are also mentioned in the Chronicle’s reporting.
Other media outlets have mentioned Crystal Palace, Coventry City, Everton, and almost every other Premier League club who aren’t actively battling for Champions League places. Not all of them will prove to be sincerely interested, but there could be a major bidding war. That alone makes it difficult to assess the genuine likelihood that he makes the short journey north to join Newcastle.
A bid is perfectly possible, however, and it would hardly be a shock if Hackney traded Teesside for Tyneside in the coming months. But is he the kind of player who can help Howe to get Newcastle back on track?
Is Hackney a suitable target for Newcastle?
In terms of his fundamental playing style, it’s easy to see why Newcastle might view Hackney as a fine fit for them – the 23-year-old is an aggressive, high-tempo box-to-box midfielder who’s cut from very similar cloth to players like Bruno Guimarães.
He’s particularly strong when surging forward with the ball at his feet and while he lacks a truly expansive passing range, his ability to carry possession forward quickly and with confidence suits Newcastle’s set-up, which is focussed on quick counter-attacking transitions.
He’s hard working, consistent, technically sound and has the fitness and boundless energy to cover large swathes of the pitch. He’s more than capable of playing in much the same way that Guimarães and Joelinton have done with such distinction for Newcastle over the past few seasons.
He does have his weaknesses, of course. He’ll harry and hassle opposing players right across the field but lacks first-rate judgement in the tackle and can be over aggressive – so he can be a wrecking ball, but also a player who gets pulled out of position, misses tackles and makes mistakes. He probably wouldn’t flourish as a true defensive midfielder and would be best suited used alongside and slightly ahead of a more natural anchorman.
The chief question concerning Hackney is, of course, whether he would be able to maintain his performance levels from the Championship at a higher level – essentially an unanswerable question. Newcastle, however, may need to do some soul searching to figure out whether Hackney is really what they need. Signing him would represent continuity and signal a desire for more of the same from the midfield. Given how poorly the current season has gone, it’s debatable whether that’s what the club really need.
With forwards who have struggled when isolated from their team-mates and a midfield stretched thin as it tries to cover more and more ground as Howe drops his defensive line deeper, there’s every chance that what Newcastle need isn’t another high-pressing, hard-grafting box-to-box workhorse but players who can offer more control and more creativity – perhaps a natural number 10 who can get closer to the forwards and bridge the gap between midfield and attack more easily.
Only Howe will know how he plans to change his tactics and approach next season, but it’s obvious that something has to be done differently for Newcastle to point themselves back in the right direction. If that means adjusting how the midfield operates, then perhaps Hackney wouldn’t quite such a neat fit after all. If Howe wants more of the same, however, it’s hard to argue with the Middlesbrough man as a logical target.