Ultimately, at least one more campaign will be spent in the English second-tier, though it could be longer if Kim Hellberg is forced to cash in on some of the club's top talent.
Bitter pill for Boro to swallow
Though chairman Steve Gibson will almost certainly fight tooth and nail to hang onto the best players in the team, for some, it wouldn't be a surprise for them to want to move to pastures new.
England U21 international Hayden Hackney will soon be in the last year of his contract, and though it would be a bitter pill for Boro to swallow, the money they could potentially make from his sale would allow them to strengthen elsewhere.
It's understood that a number of clubs are interested in the 23-year-old's services, with the latest being Man Utd.
Given that Michael Carrick oversaw the youngster's development whilst he was manager at the Riverside, there's some sense to him making a move to bring Hackney to Old Trafford.
Vision and creativity
Aside from a short loan to Scunthorpe United back in the 2021/22 season, the midfielder has spent his entire career at Boro.
At 5ft 10in, he is more than capable of handling the physical aspects of the game, but it's his vision and creativity that have really set him apart in the English second tier.
He likes to drive at opposition defences, and his 128 total take-ons were the most in the Boro squad during 25/26. With 57 of those being successful, he was just one behind Callum Brittain, who had the highest output of 58.
Five drives into the box couldn't be topped by his teammates, whilst only Aidan Morris and Luke Ayling had more than the midfielder's 806 total carries last season.
Ayling was also the only player to have more than Hackney's 228 separate 10+ progressive carries, which denotes when a player travels more than 10 yards towards the opponent's goal in one continuous movement (i.e., dribbling).
17 chances created at the end of a progressive carry is a fine return from the youngster, as was his total of 85 chances created - the best from a Boro perspective.
The 23-year-old's 875 passes that ended in the final third were also an unbeatable showing from Hackney in the campaign just finished, and 1,420 successful passes in the opponent's half could only be bettered by Morris' 1,577.
With an accuracy across the season of 86.37%, it's little wonder that clubs from England's top tier are circling.
Great all-round game
Furthermore, the player's seven assists were level with the total Morgan Whittaker provided last season, and 42 successful crosses placed him only behind Brittain and Matt Targett (both 49).
83 successful lay-offs - more than any colleague - are another area in which Hackney excelled, and even his 66.67% tackle success rate puts him right in the mix to be the best in the defensive side of Boro's game.
408 one-on-ones contested and 215 ball recoveries made only enhance the player's credibility in terms of the strength of his all-round game.
Whilst it's acknowledged that he's yet to play at the very highest level of the game, his numbers indicate that he's more than ready to test himself against the best, and Carrick would know better than most whether the player has what it takes to survive and thrive in the Premier League.
Man Utd will need to move quickly
Man Utd have certainly been much more expansive since the new man has been in charge, and adding Hackney into the mix could see a further uplift in this regard.
The one issue at this stage could be in terms of a transfer fee.
Gibson will expressly understand that the midfielder could walk away for nothing in a year's time if the club can't agree a new contract with him, but notwithstanding that, he'll still want to get the best price for his player if he reluctantly accepts that Hackney wishes to ply his trade elsewhere.
From Carrick's point of view, bringing in a creative young Englishman who would be expected to offer major competition for places is a win-win, and could also help in terms of rotation, given United's qualification for next season's Champions League.
However, as the Red Devils aren't the only interested party, time is of the essence if they want to get a deal over the line.
