- Everton are preparing a third bid for Hackney after two rejections from Boro
- Crystal Palace are now expected to make their own offer in the coming days
- Hackney is still prioritising Everton – but that advantage will not last forever
So here we go again. Everton’s third attempt to sign Hayden Hackney is being prepared, according to GiveMeSport, after Middlesbrough rejected opening bids of £12m and then £15m.
The gap between what Everton have offered and what Boro want has narrowed. But Crystal Palace are now coming, and appear not to be messing about.
This is now the moment. Third bid, rival interest firming up, a player who wants to come. What Everton do next will tell us quite a lot about whether this summer is different or will be more of the same.
What has changed since the last two bids
The short answer is: the competition. When Everton went in at £12m back in early June, it felt like an opening gambit – low, predictably knocked back, a way of testing the water. The £15m follow-up was better but still well short of Middlesbrough’s £25m asking price.
Boro have been consistent throughout. They know what they have, they know Hackney has 12 months left on his deal, and they also know that Everton, Tottenham and Manchester United all want him. Not a club in a hurry to drop their valuation.
The Palace involvement has changed the dynamic. According to TEAMtalk, they are preparing the highest bid to date – somewhere in the region of £20m – and can offer Hackney something Everton simply cannot: European football.
Their UEFA Conference League win last season means Pierre Sage’s squad will be in the Europa League next season. That is a very useful card to have when trying to persuade a 23-year-old England Under-21 international where his next career move should be.
Why Everton still have a chance – but need to move
Here’s the thing, though. Hackney is still prioritising Everton. That’s not a minor detail buried in transfer gossip. A player actively choosing you over Europa League football is a huge advantage – one that Moyes and the recruitment team have clearly worked hard on.
James Garner’s England call-up this season was no accident, and Hackney will have noticed.
But player preference doesn’t have an infinite shelf life. If Palace get their bid in first and it is close to Boro’s valuation, Boro will take the money. They are not a charity.
If Everton’s third offer lands somewhere in the low 20s with structured add-ons, there is still a deal to be done. If it comes in at £17m, Hackney goes to south London and Everton spend the rest of the summer looking for a cheaper alternative.
The gap has never been the problem. The willingness to close it has been. Third time, Everton. Make it count.
