Hackney and Charles: Man United target Championship maestros
Hackney and Charles: Man United target Championship maestros Manchester United are on the hunt for two of the finest midfielders in the Championship as the club considers raids for Hayden Hackney and Shea Charles, a new report has revealed. Bolstering the Squad United’s priority in INEOS’ third summer at the helm is a complete revamp in midfield, with the previous windows having focused on upgrading the defence and attack. Only Manuel Ugarte has been signed to bolster the middle of the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner, a transfer which is comfortably the worst of the hierarchy’s tenure.
The 25-year-old Uruguayan will be sold if a suitable buyer can be sourced, while Casemiro is certain to depart once his contract expires, leaving Kobbie Mainoo as the only senior midfielder at Old Trafford. A replacement for the Brazilian behemoth is considered the most urgent, and the one which will cost the most. A versatile No.
8 to rotate with Mainoo is also on the agenda, as is a younger (and cheaper) option to provide depth — but only if Ugarte is sold. The Athletic reveals two of the names on United’s wish list are Hackney, Middlesbrough’s midfield maestro, and Southampton dynamo Charles. By dipping into the Championship, the Red Devils will be able to target players who are comfortable in a league with similar speed and intensity to the Premier League, without the associated costs.
There is the obvious caveat of how those signings will adapt to the obvious jump in quality from England’s second division to its first, but the Premier League is filled with quality operators who first made their name elsewhere in the football pyramid. Hayden Hackney Hackney is obviously well-known to United’s head coach, Michael Carrick, after the pair’s shared time at the Riverside Stadium. However, the 23-year-old has gone from strength to strength since Carrick left, firmly establishing himself as one of the best playmakers in the Championship.
The Redcar native is capable of dictating play from deep, possessing a wonderful passing range and the ability to evade the opposition press. He has also added more attacking threat to his game this season, returning six goals and eight assists as he has helped propel ‘Boro to the final of the playoffs — albeit in controversial fashion, as will be discussed shortly. The Athletic claims Hackney is “well-liked” by figures at Old Trafford, most obviously his former manager.
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