Everton have completed the signing of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, with the Championship player of the year joining on a five-year contract for an initial fee of £16.5m. The 24-year-old central midfielder becomes the first new arrival of the summer after a pursuit that began weeks ago led to a breakthrough in talks over the weekend.
The Blues fought off interest from a clutch of Premier League rivals, but once Hackney identified Everton as his preferred destination last month, the club held pole position in the battle to secure his signature. The fee could rise further should a series of clauses and bonuses be unlocked.
Major Boost for Moyes and Everton
That the club was able to convince Hackney, the Championship player of the year, is a major boost for the team and manager David Moyes, who has a history of developing stars from the second tier. Hackney namechecked Moyes as being key to his decision to move to Merseyside.
Hackney, an England Under-21 international, said upon the announcement of his move: "I'm delighted to be here. 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. 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."
Hackney's Impact at Middlesbrough
The midfielder was integral to Middlesbrough’s promotion fight last season, and his club’s form tailed off when he was absent for the run-in through injury. It was over whether he would be fit for the play-off semi-finals that Southampton were thrown out of the play-offs over a spying scandal.
With 12 months left on his contract, the final defeat to Hull City made a move for Hackney inevitable, though Middlesbrough initially held firm on their insistence they were willing to keep him if their valuation was not met. After protracted negotiations, Everton constructed a deal that paved the way for a move, and Hackney completed his medical on Wednesday.
What Hackney Brings to Everton
On what Everton supporters can expect from him, Hackney said: "I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively. I think I can carry the ball well, arrive late in the box, and hopefully score some goals. I think there's plenty more to come from me. Obviously, I haven't played in the Premier League yet, so once I get used to that I think I can kick on from there."
He added: "It was big for me to get it done before the start of pre-season. I wanted to be here on day one and do the whole pre-season with the lads. I can't wait for it. It helps with everything. Obviously, it's a new set of lads who I'll get used to and then also living down here. I'm delighted."
Moyes on the Signing
Everton boss David Moyes said: “Hayden is a promising young player who we’ve been tracking for some time, and I’m looking forward to working with him. 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. We hope that will be the case with Hayden, too. He’s an England Under-21 international who will provide greater competition in midfield, which is something I wanted going into the new season.”
Hackney is the first incoming player of the summer for the Blues, though he is technically the club’s second signing after their Premier League survival triggered the obligation to make Merlin Rohl’s loan move from Freiburg permanent.
