‘Everton face race against time to seal Hayden Hackney transfer after deal agreed’
Everton must act fast if they’re to secure the signing of Hayden Hackney, with Middlesbrough agreeing terms with a rival club.
Hackney is a product of Boro’s youth system and to date, has made 113 appearances for the club, notching 10 goals and nine assists.
The midfielder was a part of England’s U21 Euros-winning team over the summer, following on from a campaign in which he starred as Boro narrowly missed out on the Championship playoffs.
However, his form has also sparked rumours of a move away from the Riverside Stadium, with Everton understood to be among those interested.
Ipswich Town bid for Hackney accepted
If Everton are to secure the signing of Hackney, they must act now.
According to The Northern Echo (30 July), Ipswich Town have already had a £20million bid for the 23-year-old accepted.
The Tractor Boys are hellbent on an immediate return to the Premier League and have already brought in the likes of Azor Matusiwa, Ashley Young and Cedric Kipre this summer.
Hackney is next on their list, but a deal may be complicated, with the midfielder unsure whether or not a move to another Championship club is the right decision at this stage of his career.
Talks between Ipswich and Hackney are expected to begin soon, with a new midfielder needed at Portman Road after Sam Morsy left for Kuwait FC earlier in July.
David Moyes should return to familiar market
Football Insider verdict
David Moyes enjoyed a wonderful track record when signing players from the Championship during his previous spell as Everton manager, with the likes of Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka establishing themselves as key players.
Supporters are not happy with the Toffees’ showings in pre-season so far, with consecutive defeats to Blackburn, Bournemouth and West Ham coming off the back of a 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley.
Following the loss against West Ham on Wednesday, many supporters took to social media to urge their side to bring in more new faces, with Thierno Barry the only realistic starting addition to the squad so far — alongside back-up goalkeeper Mark Travers, young left-back Adam Aznou, and making Carlos Alcaraz’s loan permanent.
| 2024/25 per 90 league stats | Idrissa Gana Gueye | Hayden Hackney |
| Passes completed | 36.2 | 62.4 |
| Progressive passes completed | 4.26 | 10.5 |
| Passes into final 3rd completed | 4.53 | 8.60 |
| Tackles | 3.91 | 2.21 |
| Interceptions | 1.41 | 0.71 |
Moyes may well be tempted to dip into a familiar market, especially with Idrissa Gana Gueye now 35 years old and still representing Everton’s best midfield option.
The Scot will just hope the club can move quickly and take advantage of Hackney’s desire to move to the Premier League in order to head off Ipswich’s interest.