Alious
Brighton & Hove Albion are intensifying their monitoring of Middlesbrough star **Hayden Hackney, with the Seagulls ramping up preparations for a possible January swoop. The highly rated midfielder has long attracted Premier League attention, with Manchester United and Crystal Palace previously showing sustained interest.
Hackney, now a central figure in Boro’s promotion charge, has delivered 20 appearances across all competitions this season, contributing three goals and four assists. His development has impressed observers, particularly his growing impact in advanced areas of the pitch.
According to TEAMtalk, both Brighton and Fulham dispatched scouts to the MKM Stadium during Middlesbrough’s emphatic 4–1 win over Hull City, where Hackney played a key role. New manager **Kim Hellberg is determined to keep his squad intact for their promotion push — Boro currently sit second in the Championship, seven points behind leaders Coventry City.
Although the club has told Hellberg they have no intention of selling Hackney mid-season, insiders suggest that any bid exceeding £25 million could force top-level decision-makers at the Riverside Stadium to reconsider. Memories of last season’s troubles — after selling top scorer Emmanuel Latte-Lath to Atlanta United — remain fresh, and Boro are wary of repeating the mistake.
Brighton, however, are expected to persist if they identify Hackney as the ideal long-term successor to Carlos Baleba, whose future could lie higher up the Premier League hierarchy. Several names, including **Lamare Bogarde of Aston Villa and Tyler Morton of Lyon, have already emerged as possible replacements should Baleba move on.
Hackney now appears firmly in that group of midfielders under assessment. Still, it remains uncertain whether he stands at the top of Brighton’s shortlist as they weigh up their options for future squad planning.
Alious
