Bellingham vs Hackney: Chelsea and Man Utd target the wrong player

Cameron Smith

Updated: 10 Mar 2025 07:08 CDT
5 min read

Hayden Hackney, Jobe Bellingham — © IMAGO

The Championship has been a hotbed for talent for years and the current crop of wonderkids plying their trade in the second tier of English football are more than ready for a step up to the big time.

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Eberechi Eze, Jarrod Bowen, Marc Guehi and Michael Olise are among the stars to have successfully jumped from a status of Championship prodigy to reliable Premier League performer, while Adam Wharton is the latest to achieve this feat.

As you may be able to tell from that list of names, Crystal Palace have been the market leaders in acquiring Championship talents in recent seasons and Oliver Glasner’s side are hoping to continue that trend during the 2025 summer transfer window.

The Eagles are monitoring the form of both Hayden Hackney and Jobe Bellingham as they prepare a contingency plan in the event that Wharton departs amid significant transfer interest from the likes of Real Madrid.

However, Hackney and Bellingham are also being tracked by a multitude of top clubs across Europe, with Chelsea and Manchester United tipped to pursue the pair this summer.

Enzo Maresca’s side have entered the race to sign Bellingham amid concerns over Romeo Lavia’s injury record, while Man Utd have identified Hackney as a possible alternative to their more expensive midfield targets.

But, despite the resources at both clubs’ disposal, they may well be targeting the wrong player; Hackney appears ideally suited to play under Maresca at Chelsea and Bellingham could be perfect for Ruben Amorim.

Hackney Hackney for Chelsea and Jobe Bellingham for Man Utd?

So far this season, Hackney and Bellingham have played vastly different roles for Middlesbrough and Sunderland. The former has been a tempo-setting midfielder responsible for keeping Michael Carrick’s side ticking, while the latter has been utilised as a box-to-box midfielder by Regis Le Bris.

Hackney has quite simply been pivotal to Boro’s possession-heavy style of play and he has racked up the second-highest number of touches (2790) of any midfielder in the Championship so far this season (behind only Matt Grimes).

Grimes is also the only central midfielder with more completed passes than Hackney this campaign, while the 22-year-old has tallied 82 progressive carries - once again the second highest of any Championship midfielder. The Englishman is metronomic with his passing when required, but he crucially has the cutting edge needed to break down deep blocks too.

Despite nominally playing as a defensive midfielder, Hackney has five goals and two assists so far this season, and he possesses the speed and stamina to compete with the very best midfielders in England.

Current ETV

Hayden Hackney

DM (C)

Middlesbrough

Hayden Hackney

DM (C)

Middlesbrough

ETV Range

€9.2M - €11.3M

Bellingham, on the other hand, is a less experienced player, but his potential arguably exceeds Hackney’s. In fact, data analytics experts SciSports believe Bellingham is almost guaranteed to enjoy a more fruitful career than his Middlesbrough counterpart.

The brother of Jude is three years younger than Hackney and although his current metrics are dwarfed by the Boro star - his completed passes, chances created and dribbles attempted are all significantly lower than Hackney’s for example - he may well be a better future prospect.

His goal tally for the season stands at a fairly measly four, but Bellingham has previously displayed evidence of being an immense threat inside the penalty area and he has also been deployed in a more reserved role compared to last campaign - proving his immense versatility.

His control and gait is extremely similar to his famous brother’s, with the pair bearing a striking resemblance regarding their on-pitch style of play, and he is already able to physically compete despite being just 19 years old.

Bellingham identifies more as a ‘ball-winning midfielder’, while Hackney is firmly in the ‘deep-lying playmaker’ camp, according to SciSports.

© IMAGO - Jobe Bellingham vs Hayden Hackney: Playing styles compared

As a result, the former is far more suited to joining Man Utd and the latter would be perfect for Chelsea.

Amorim’s system requires immense energy and physicality in midfield, and the Sunderland wonderkid is the archetype modern number eight, combining defensive work-rate and intelligence with immense close control, a huge engine and an eye for goal.

Maresca, on the other hand, prefers a more controlled midfielder and Hackney’s passing prowess would help him seamlessly fit in at Stamford Bridge.

As per reports, Chelsea want Bellingham and Man Utd want Hackney. However, both clubs would benefit hugely if this was reversed.