It’s been a damaging summer for Wolverhampton Wanderers. After key players, Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait Nouri, were both sold for a combined £100 million to Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively.
David Moller Wolfe was brought in to replace Ait Nouri from AZ Alkmaar. Dipping into the division below, their cries for a new midfielder may have been answered.
Wolves Bid For Championship Star
According to Football League World, Wolves have made a bid of £20 million plus £10 million in add-ons to sign Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney.
Earlier this week, the midfielder informed Middlesbrough of his desire to move to the Premier League before Monday’s deadline.
This came after the 23-year-old rejected a move to fellow Championship side Ipswich Town, after the Tractor Boys agreed a £20 million deal with Boro.
There has been no news regarding Middlesbrough’s response to the bid. However, with the player’s heart set on a top-flight move, it is in Boro’s best interests to accept the bid and reinvest.
Wolves look set to beat fellow Premier League clubs, West Ham United and Everton, to the signing of the box-to-box midfielder.
Both clubs were recently linked with Hackney, with Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur also showing an interest earlier in the window.
How Did Hackney Fare Last Season?
Hackney played 43 times in the Championship last season, scoring five and assisting three in a box-to-box role.
Establishing himself under Michael Carrick three years ago, he has been long established as one of the best young talents in the Championship.
Since his emergence for the Boro, he has been a mainstay in the first team. Making 114 appearances with 11 goals to his name, a top-flight move has been on the cards for the last three years.
Under Rob Edwards, Hackney has flourished so far this season as Boro boast a 100% record, sitting in second place. The 23-year-old has scored once and assisted once in three Championship appearances this season.
Hackney was also part of the England U21 side that won the Euros in the summer. However, the midfielder found minutes hard to come by, accumulating just 102 minutes across the tournament. Hackney provided the assist for the winning goal in the semi-finals, as Harvey Elliot netted in the 86th minute.
Is This a Good Move for Both Parties?
For Wolves, this is an excellent deal. The midfielder has long-stood as one destined for the Premier League and has had the performances to match.
He embodied every aspect of the football Boro were known for under Carrick, and has continued to show his class under Edwards.
However, the timing of this move places the North East club in a difficult position.
With Finn Azaz’s departure recently confirmed, this move places even more pressure on the club in the coming days.
The September 1st deadline is looming, and Edwards will need to dip into the market to replace his two standout players.
However, the potential of a £30 million profit on a homegrown player is exceptional from a business sense, if reinvested correctly.