Everton have completed the signing of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, with the midfielder putting pen to paper on a deal that runs until the end of June 2031. The transfer, for an undisclosed fee, is Everton’s first of the summer.
Hackney, 24, was the Championship’s Player of the Season last term, helping Middlesbrough reach the play-off final, where they lost to Hull City. He made 154 appearances for his boyhood club across all competitions.
Speaking to the club, Hackney said joining Everton had been his priority as soon as he learned of their interest. “As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, to be honest, it was always going to be Everton,” he said. “It’s such a big club, with the new stadium and the direction it’s going in. I just wanted to be part of that.”
“Hopefully score goals…”
He pointed to David Moyes’ track record of developing Championship players in the Premier League as a factor in his decision, and outlined what fans can expect from him. “I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively,” Hackney said. “I think I can carry the ball well, arrive late in the box, and hopefully score some goals.”
Moyes described Hackney as a player Everton had tracked for some time. “We’ve had a track record over the years of identifying players in the Championship who have gone on to do really well for us and been good investments,” the manager said. “He’s an England Under-21 international who will provide greater competition in midfield, which is something I wanted going into the new season.”
The move comes with Idrissa Gana Gueye’s Everton future still unresolved after his contract expired amid his World Cup commitments with Senegal, leaving Hackney set to provide fresh competition in central midfield alongside James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as pre-season approaches.
