Everton agree £25m fee for Hayden Hackney as Boro line up Oliver Skipp talks

Further to our earlier piece on Everton edging closer to signing Hayden Hackney, fresh reports suggest negotiations with Middlesbrough are now entering their final stages.

According to John Percy of The Telegraph, Everton are closing in on a deal worth around £25 million for the Championship midfielder, with the expectation that the two clubs will reach a full agreement later this week.

Hackney has emerged as David Moyes’ priority midfield targets this summer after another impressive campaign for Middlesbrough. Everton have been pursuing the 24-year-old for several weeks and discussions are understood to have accelerated as the club looks to complete more of its transfer business before pre-season gets underway.

Middlesbrough preparing for life after Hackney

Percy’s report also offers the clearest indication yet that Middlesbrough are preparing for Hackney’s departure. Boro have held talks with Leicester City over a possible move for Oliver Skipp, although the Championship club are currently reluctant to meet Leicester’s £15 million asking price.

While those negotiations are separate from Everton’s pursuit of Hackney, they underline the growing expectation that Middlesbrough could soon lose one of their most influential players, and Boro are preparing for life without him.

Everton are yet to announce an agreement and negotiations remain ongoing, but the latest update represents another significant step forward in what has become one of the club’s priority deals of the summer.

Should an agreement be reached in the coming days, Hayden Hackney would become one of Everton’s marquee additions ahead of the 2026-27 season as Moyes continues to reshape his midfield.