Middlesbrough will head into the upcoming Championship season with a significant loss in the midfield ranks. At Deepdale, Preston North End are set to lose Ben Whiteman on a £3m deal to Wrexham. As for Boro, well, the Riverside outfit have seen the division's Player of the Year for 2025/26 depart for Everton, in the form of Hayden Hackney. The Englishman appears in safe hands under David Moyes' watch on Merseyside, although as for Kim Hellberg and co, the question now is how to replace him. Preston North End's interest in Oliver Skipp could be a perfect solution for Middlesbrough's midfield woes, following the departure of Hayden Hackney. Skipp, a 25-year-old Spurs academy graduate, has been linked with a loan move to Boro. The midfielder has already made a name for himself in the MLS, scoring and assisting ten goals in just 14 games, while creating 11 'big chances' and averaging 2.8 key passes per game. Boro will be banking on what Skipp has shown in the past, the player notably hailed as a "future captain" of the club by Jose Mourinho. He had also sparkled out on loan at Norwich City in 2020/21, as the Canaries won the second tier title, starting 44 games that year for Daniel. The upcoming Championship season is set to be a crucial one for both clubs, with Middlesbrough looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2025/26 campaign. League standing (final 2025 table -- new season not yet under way): 14th in Championship, 60 pts, 15W-15D-16L from 46 games, recent form LWLLW. The team will face Millwall away on 2027-02-27, 3rd in the table. Goals this season: 55 scored, 62 conceded (-7 goal difference). Title race: 35 points behind leaders Coventry. Next fixture: vs Millwall (away, 2027-02-27) (3rd in the table).