Middlesbrough are preparing for a busy summer transfer window as Kim Hellberg attempts to right the wrongs of last season and propel the Teesside club back to the Premier League this time around, but he will be without his star midfielder, Hayden Hackney.

Middlesbrough’s three promotions are a rare occurrence that is unlikely to be reproduced anytime soon. Unfortunately for Borough, they were unable to take advantage of their situation.

Middlesbrough spent the majority of the recent season in the top two with Coventry City, but only two wins in their final 10 league games saw the club fall from the automatic spot on the final straight and into the play-offs.

They would lose 2-1 on aggregate to Southampton in the play-off semi-finals, but after the Saints were expelled after being found guilty of spying, Borough were given another chance, being placed in the play-off final against Hull City.

However, Oli McBurnie’s late winner sent the Tigers to the top tier, implying that another season of Championship football awaits Borough, with Hayden Hackney’s exit this summer being a formality.

Hackney, 24, is on the verge of leaving the Riverside, and Borough may regret not pursuing one of the second tier’s most sought-after midfielders as his replacement, with an eight-figure move to a competitor approaching.

Middlesbrough may regret not entering the race for Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith.

Hackney has long been regarded as one of the top midfielders in the EFL, and his achievements for Borough have sparked interest from Premier League clubs.

However, Everton appear to be close to clinching a deal worth around £25 million for the former England junior international, with Borough hoping to reinvest the money wisely.

Hackney has made over 150 appearances for his hometown club and will be difficult to replace, as Hellberg wants to prioritise his offensive options with approaches for Aston Villa’s Lewis Dobbin and Hull’s Kyle Joseph.

The Swedish manager will be more aware than most of the difficulties he confronts in replacing Hackney, and should have explored signing Swansea City star Ethan Galbraith to replace their skipper.

Galbraith, 25, is a fully-fledged Northern Irish international who began his career at Manchester United and has since played for Doncaster Rovers and Salford City before joining Leyton Orient permanently in the summer of 2023.

The midfielder, who can also play right-back, appeared frequently in West London and was extremely impressive during his two years at Brisbane Road, luring Swansea into paying £1.5 million for him last summer.

Galbraith appeared a class above in South Wales during his first year in the second division, making 39 league games for the Swans, and has sparked interest from Wrexham and West Ham United, the latter of which was previously revealed exclusively by Football League World.

However, it appears that the Northern Irishman is on his way to Championship rivals Stoke City in a deal for more than £10 million, which is a surprise move for all parties involved.

Galbraith earlier refused a new contract at the Liberty Stadium a few months ago, and suspicions that he might leave the club spread across the club’s fanbase as a result of this revelation.

Now, it appears that those concerns have come true, with Stoke parting ways with a handsome sum to lure him to the Potteries, while Borough may feel they have missed a trick in this deal.

Despite spending only one year in the Championship, Galbraith has demonstrated Premier League-level skill, thus interest in his services was unsurprising.

With Borough paying a high sum for Hackney, they could have attracted the 25-year-old to Teesside for less than half of Everton’s asking price for their captain, making him an excellent substitute.

Instead, it appears like Galbraith is on his way to North Staffordshire, in a deal that Stoke will hope is worthwhile following what will be their most lucrative signing in over a decade.

Middlesbrough may regret losing Ethan Galbraith to Stoke City, as Kim Hellberg considers Hayden Hackney options.

With Middlesbrough looking like they missed out on signing Galbraith this summer, Hellberg must guarantee they don’t miss out on the Northern Irishman by finding a Hackney substitute of comparable ability and, ideally, at a lower cost.

While both Galbraith and Hackney play in midfield, their styles of play are not entirely similar, while much of the data suggests Middlesbrough’s high possession preference and overall domination during games have a significant impact.

The Northern Irishman is a tiny, deep-lying playmaker who excels in tight areas and has a strong passing range, as evidenced by his 122 precise long balls played last season, according to FotMob.

Furthermore, Galbraith won control 33 times in the final third last season, a team record in comparison to other midfielders, indicating that his off-the-ball work is also strong.

While the Swansea star primarily deputised in a deeper midfield and right-back role, there is every reason to believe he could have adapted his game to play a more advanced position like Hackney, with the 25-year-old not afraid to fire at goal if the opportunity presented itself, taking 57 shots last season, another team high for his position.

Middlesbrough and Swansea both relied heavily on their star midfielders for build-up play, with Hackney taking 3,247 touches to Galbraith’s 2,846.

Again, most of the data must be interpreted with caution, as Galbraith played in a totally different system than Hackney and spent a significant amount of time at right back. However, given his abilities in and out of possession, there is every reason to believe the Northern Irishman would have made a fine replacement for the Borough captain on Teesside.

While they excel in slightly different areas, they are both among the finest the Championship has to offer, and it is possible that Hellberg will regret not pursuing this opportunity as time passes.

Borough fans will be hoping that the majority of the Hackney money is reinvested in the playing team, ideally in a capable replacement for him.

Those at the club, fans and staff alike, will be well aware that getting a player of Hackney’s calibre at a cheap price is nearly hard, but Galbraith may have been an ideal candidate to fill the vacuum.

Hellberg needs to find a solid successor for the 24-year-old, but it does not appear that Galbraith will be that player.