Crystal Palace to snatch Spurs target?! Eagles eye £15m bid for Middlesbrough ace Hayden Hackney as part of double raid on Championship club amid rival Tottenham interest

Palace want to sign England Under-21 Euros winner Hackney to their midfield ahead of the new campaign and are also keen on his Boro team-mate Rav van den Berg. It could take a combined £27m to lure both from the North East.

Tottenham are also keen on Hackney and must move fast if they are to follow up on their interest. The report states Stuttgart and Porto are also eyeing him, the Portuguese club having seen a £9m bid rejected on January deadline day.

Palace have had plenty of success signing players from the Championship in recent seasons. Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze both proved huge successes after arriving from Reading and QPR respectively, while Adam Wharton is following in their footsteps having joined from Crystal Palace 18 months ago.

Palace's spot in the Europa League is far from confirmed but they are still planning for life in Europe with their recruitment, with two top Championship performers ready to add depth and quality to their squad.