Leeds United will announce their Player of the Season awards on Tuesday night at their awards evening, and it is not going to be an easy decision to make.

The Whites have avoided relegation from the Premier League after coming up from the Championship under Daniel Farke, thanks to a number of players stepping up with consistently impressive performances.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, for example, should be one of the favourites for the award after he scored his 14th goal of the campaign against Brighton on Sunday.

Ethan Ampadu should also be in contention because the Leeds skipper has started 34 of the club's 37 Premier League matches and been a rock in the middle of the park.

The Wales international, who is in his third year at Elland Road, has won 62% of his ground duels and 63% of his aerial duels in the division, dominating opposition midfielders on a regular basis.

Leeds find out asking price for Championship star

Leeds hit the jackpot when they signed Ampadu from Chelsea as a young player who was heading into the prime years of his career, and they could repeat that trick this summer.

The West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly looking at a player who could be like the Welsh star for Farke in the 2026/27 campaign and beyond.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Middlesbrough central midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The reporter claims that Boro will accept offers of £20m or more in the upcoming summer transfer window, which means that the Whites know how much they will need to pay to bring him to Elland Road.

Nixon adds, though, that Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest are also interested in the England U21 international and are set to provide competition in the race to secure his services.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are prepared to pay the £20m that it will take to convince Middlesbrough to cash in on the midfield star.

What Hayden Hackney would bring to the Leeds United midfield

Hackney would be a brilliant addition to Farke's squad because he could be a consistently impressive performer in the middle of the park, just as Ampadu has been in recent years.

He has also captained Boro 18 times in the 2025/26 campaign, taking on the armband at a young age, which shows that he has the potential to be a leader like the current Whites skipper.

The English star was crowned the Player of the Season for the Championship last month, making him the EFL's best player, and his defensive numbers were very similar to Ampadu's in the title-winning campaign last term.

Hackney showed his quality out of possession as a combative star who can bite into challenges and press high to win the ball back for his side, ranking in the top 1% of midfielders for possession won in the final third (33) this season.

The 23-year-old star has more to his overall game than Ampadu, though, because he has shown an ability to provide quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals in the middle of the park.

In the 2025/26 campaign, the English maestro scored five goals and provided seven assists in 38 appearances for Middlesbrough, whilst he created eight 'big chances' and 2.2 key passes per match.

Ampadu is not as effective as an attacking force for the Whites. In the last two seasons combined, the Wales international has only contributed with one goal and one assist in the Premier League and the Championship.

This suggests that Hackney could have a greater impact at the top end of the pitch in the Premier League for Farke, as he can provide a threat with goals and assists, using his technical quality on the ball to create moments of magic in the final third.

Overall, the German head coach should push the board to strike a deal with Boro before Palace and Forest can make a move because he has the potential to be as successful as Ampadu has been at Elland Road, and possibly even more so with his superior attacking play.