“He’s hugely talented”: Michael Carrick has urges Tottenham to sign ‘exceptional’ midfielder who’s far talented compared to Conor Gallagher

“He’s hugely talented”: Michael Carrick has urges Tottenham to sign ‘exceptional’ midfielder who’s far talented compared to Conor Gallagher.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney in recent days.

Earlier this week, The Independent named Spurs as one of the clubs apparently eyeing the 21-year-old.

More recently, Dean Jones told GiveMeSport that Tottenham were indeed interested in Hackney.

Spurs have done superbly in the January transfer window, bringing in reinforcements in key areas.

Timo Werner has come in to bolster Tottenham’s attacking ranks, while Radu Dragusin is a much-needed addition at centre-back for Spurs.

Next up on the January transfer agenda for Tottenham, according to reports, is a new midfielder.

Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher is said to be a target for Spurs, as is Hackney, who has impressed for Boro over the past 18 months.

Last term, the defensive midfielder made 36 Championship appearances as the Teesside outfit reached the playoffs.

And this season, Hackney is on 16 league outings as Michael Carrick’s charges remain just a few points outside the top six.

However, the Carabao Cup is where he has really made a name for himself on the big stage, scoring against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup in midweek.

Hackney scored the only goal of the game for Boro in their semi-final first-leg triumph over the Blues at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday night.

Tottenham target Hayden Hackney is ‘the life and soul’ of Middlesbrough

Carrick, who played for Tottenham during his footballing career, wasn’t even surprised by how well Hackney did, as he’s seen how much hard work he has been putting in.

“Honestly, it couldn’t happen to a nicer lad,” he told Teesside Live.

“He’s everything you could ever hope for in a player. He’s humble, hard working, hugely talented obviously and he’s great to work with.

“He is the life and soul of this club, as I said last week, and for him to get that goal, he’s had his eye on this game.

“He’s been injured for a few weeks and this was the target. We set up his plan in getting some minutes on Saturday ready for tonight and he just about got through it in the end.

“It doesn’t surprise me one bit. That’s the type of lad he is. He’s down-to-earth and respectful. You can see what it meant to him when he scored. He’s just an absolute joy to have here.”

On the night, Hackney was actually playing in one of the more advanced roles as opposed to his regular position, and he scored. This suggests he could grow into quite a versatile player.

Let’s see what happens in the coming weeks. Tottenham should certainly make enquiries as to his availability and price tag.