“Would take a massive offer”: Spurs make £45 million claim for Middlesbrough pair
Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly interested in signing Middlesbrough defender Rav van den Berg and midfielder Hayden Hackney this summer.
This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features personal comments from FLW Fan Pundits on breaking news, teams, players, managers, possible signings, and more.
Middlesbrough will have a busy summer as they attempt to construct a squad capable of contending for promotion to the Championship next season.
Boro were among the promotion favourites before this season, but Michael Carrick’s team had a disappointing campaign, with inconsistency costing them a spot in the play-offs.
However, Boro finished the season strongly, losing only one of their final 12 games and finishing eighth in the standings, four points behind the top six.
That has raised hopes that Boro will have an interesting season next season, and maintaining their finest players, such as Rav van den Berg, Hayden Hackney, and Emmanuel Latte Lath, will be critical to their chances.
Some of Boro’s talents are expected to be on other teams’ radars this summer, with The Northern Echo reporting that van den Berg and Hackney are both “on a long list of potential summer signings” for Tottenham Hotspur.
Last summer, Boro signed defender van den Berg from PEC Zwolle, and he had a good debut season at the Riverside Stadium, scoring one goal in 39 appearances across all competitions.
Hackney, a midfielder who came through the Boro youth, has established himself as a significant member of the first squad in recent years. This season, he scored two goals and contributed two assists in 28 appearances across all competitions before being sidelined by injury in February.
Middlesbrough fan pundit discusses Rav van den Berg and Hayden Hackney values.
According to FLW’s Middlesbrough fan commentator Phil Spencer, Tottenham may have to spend up to £45 million to persuade Boro to sell van den Berg and Hackney this summer, with the former valued between £15-20 million and the latter around £20-25 million.
“I’m not surprised at all that both of them are attracting interest,” Phil said.
“Van den Berg joined Middlesbrough last summer as a development signing, but due to the club’s injury problems, he was handed an opportunity early on and demonstrated his skill and maturity in those early outings.
“He played left-back and right-back, despite his preferred position as a central defender, and throughout the course of the season, he emerged as one of Michael Carrick’s most crucial players in a fragmented campaign.
“I believe Rav van den Berg is a player who will play in the Champions League at some point in the future.
“He has that overwhelming quality about him, both in terms of his technical play and his attitude.
“I believe one of his most valuable assets is his maturity, as well as his ability to lead from a young age and boss individuals who are older and more experienced.
“It’s a natural trait that he possesses, and it will benefit him in the future.
“As for Hayden Hackney, I believe it was inevitable that he would leave this summer.
“Clubs in the Premier League have been surrounding him for a long, and I believe the fact that he has gone up to England U21s, having previously played for Scotland, is a credit to his ability.
“This season has been a touch fragmented due to injuries; in my opinion, if he had kept fit throughout the season, he would have moved on this summer.
“I believe the fact that he hasn’t been totally fit this season means Middlesbrough has had a little more time with him, and it will be fascinating to see if any summer interest comes in.
“Tottenham are a club that likes to invest in young talent, and I believe that will be their strategy, but I’m not fully confident that these two moves will be completed since Middlesbrough will drive a hard bargain on both of them.
“The club will sell players at the proper price; part of their business strategy revolves around acquiring young talent, developing it, and potentially selling it for a profit.
“But what Middlesbrough have done really well in the last few transfer windows is they’ve already sold on a number of players, including Morgan Rogers in January, Chuba Akpom before that, and people like Djed Spence and Marcus Tavenier, so there’s no pressure on Middlesbrough to sell either of these two players.
“If the price is right and Tottenham makes a huge money bid, both transactions may theoretically go through, but in my opinion, both of these acquisitions would require a massive offer.
“If you forced me to place a price tag on both of them, I believe Hayden Hackney would cost between £20 and £25 million to sign.
“Rav van den Berg is probably somewhat less than that right now; I believe you’d be looking for around £15-20 million to give Middlesbrough something to think about.
“But given van den Berg’s potential, I believe he may be worth £30 million or more in the coming seasons, but I understand that there is a cap on the kind of asking prices that Championship clubs often ask for.
“I think both of these players will attract top dollar, and as far as Middlesbrough are concerned, it would take that kind of huge offer for them to even consider selling either of these two players, such is the importance of them in Middlesbrough’s plans moving forward.”
