Tottenham are expected to join the race for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney - but will be forced to wait until the summer to move for the 21-year-old.
Hackney has shone under Michael Carrick this season and is attracting attention from a host of Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool.
Interested clubs will be watching keenly on Tuesday night when he lines up for Middlesbrough against Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at the Riverside.
Middlesbrough are braced for summer offers for Hackney but have warned clubs they will only sell their prized asset in January if a sensational offer comes in for him.
Hackney, an academy graduate who is from the north east, is in no rush to leave Middlesbrough, who are targeting a play-off place in the Championship this season.Middlesbrough accept the England Under-21s midfielder will eventually leave.
They would ideally like to encourage a bidding war, with Spurs particular admirers of a player mentored by former Spurs midfielder Carrick.
Hackney is a technically gifted defensive midfielder who can break the press by driving through the middle of the pitch.
He is particularly desired by clubs like Spurs, City and Liverpool, who may struggle to meet their homegrown player quota in UEFA competitions depending on future player sales.
Clubs must have at least eight players trained by clubs from the same national league, with four being from their own youth system.
Those rules have created a competitive market for young English talent, but often means talented young English players come at an increased price.
