Spurs have started work on signing £25m star

Tottenham Hotspur have survived, but how can Vinai Venkatesham and Johan Lange ensure this disastrous campaign is never repeated?

Victory over Everton on the final day secured both a win on home grass for the first time in over five months in the Premier League and a place in next year’s top-flight edition, but after two successive terms at a low ebb, fans will be fearful of more struggle.

That said, Roberto De Zerbi has proved a top appointment, guiding Spurs out of the relegation zone and restoring confidence and direction. The squad was shorn of such things.

The powers that be need to be held accountable for the failings of recent years. And moreover, they need to prove that they can do better, with pre-transfer window work already underway.

Spurs have started work on midfield signing

Joao Palhinha scored the goal that confirmed Tottenham’s place in the 2026/27 Premier League season, but there’s no question that they need more dynamism in the middle of the park.

When asked if he wants to keep the Portuguese next year, De Zerbi said, “Yes I would like to keep him, 100%.”

Transfer strategies have been hard to predict in recent months, with so much uncertainty about N17, but now, a pathway is clearing up, with TEAMtalk confirming that Tottenham are interested in signing Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney, who is expected to leave Teeside this summer after his side failed to climb out of the Championship.

Valued at £25m, the progressive midfielder has impressed for a number of years now, and with one year remaining on his contract, this is the right time for a club to strike a deal.

However, with all this said, Hackney is also attracting interest from a host of Spurs’ Premier League rivals, and Nottingham Forest are already preparing to put in an offer. It’s stated that the Lilywhites have already commenced scouting and analysis work on the player.

Hackney is the real deal, with his stylish performances in the centre of the Boro park even drawing one or two comparisons with Luka Modric.

Why Hackney can be Spurs’ new Luka Modric

Hackney was crowned the Championship Player of the Season after his exemplary performances in the middle of the park, even though he missed much of the business end due to injury.

That’s surely a marker of the England hopeful’s quality, who, aged 23, now has the chance to establish himself in the Premier League and start proving his worth as one of the most underrated midfielders in the country.

Described as a “pure passer” by analyst Raj Chohan, Hackney excelled throughout the Championship regular season, with his performances, driving the ball forward and creating so many chances. Having created 2.2 chances on average from deep each game, his potential to revitalise Tottenham’s build-up structure is very real.

Comfortable with starting attacks and creating play from the central hub, Hackney does have a bit of Modric about him, which might seem dubious, but he has been hailed for ‘morphing into Modric‘ in the second tier, collecting the ball from deep, turning with the agility of a deer and springing into space, there placing a surgical pass to slice through a defensive line and send his teammate on their way.

Of course, this isn’t to say that he’s on the world-renowned Croatian’s level; Modric, formerly of Tottenham, left London for Real Madrid way back when, going on to win the Ballon d’Or and cementing a legacy of the highest standard.

Hackney does have a naturally similar way of playing, though: elegant, efficient, intelligent. He is the real deal, and there is a reason so many Premier League clubs are lining up to secure his services this summer.

Tottenham have meat and grit in the middle of the park, but Hackney would add a new dimension, instilling creativity in a different fashion to, say, James Maddison or the injured Xavi Simons, who are typically higher up the field, out-and-out playmakers.

This is exactly the kind of signing that Tottenham need to make, one that ENIC could complete to show they have learned the error of their ways.