fulham Now joining the race to sign an “outstanding” midfielder worth £30m, who recently scored at Craven Cottage.

Marco Silva keen to strengthen this month

Marco Silva has made it clear that he wants to bring in some reinforcements, although bringing in new players this month may be more difficult than in the summer transfer window.

Silva explain: “Everything we try to do in January this year, we rely on it. We (himself and Fulham Football Club) are completely aligned. For me, it’s tougher than in the summer. If you sign players, they have to make an impact. Not just in the short term, but in the long term. January is more complicated.”

Regardless, Silva’s side currently sit firmly in mid-table, having progressed to the FA Cup fourth round with a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage earlier this month.

Hayden Hackney Middlesbrough’s only scorer of the day, Fulham have now joined the race to sign the midfielder, with the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton and Everton also targeting him, according to Caught Offside.

The Cottagers have been keeping a close eye on Hackney’s performance in the Championship but they may have to pay a relatively high fee if they choose to step up their interest, with Middlesbrough only willing to sanction a sale for £30m this month.

With Kim Helberg’s side in the hunt for promotion to the Championship, there’s no point in cashing in on a lower fee, especially considering the midfielder is one of their most important players this season…

Relevant

The Brazilian is set to hold a key meeting this week after Fulham expressed interest in signing him

Marco Silva’s side desperately want him.

Haki may be ready for a move to the Premier League

The 23-year-old has been a key player for Middlesbrough this season, holding the captain’s armband in each of the last 10 Championship games and has contributed four goals and six assists in 29 games in all competitions.

Middlesbrough manager Heilberg made it clear that he was also an admirer of the Englishman, praising his versatility: “Hayden is a great player. He’s good at everything. He can play every position on the court and perform well. “

The Redcar-born midfielder is a forward-thinking player who has averaged 3.14 carries per 90 over the past year, which puts him in the top one per cent of midfielders, while averaging 8.77 carries over the same period puts him in the 96th per cent.

As such, Hackney is clearly ready for promotion to the Premier League and he could become an exciting long-term signing for Fulham, so spending the asking price of £30m may be worth it.