Is Hayden Hackney the right midfielder for Everton?

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

There have been plenty of rumours in recent weeks, with Everton linked to tons of names already — silly season has truly begun.

Last week, the most concrete of these links had been speculation of Everton moving for West Ham full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, albeit it is understood that move was not as far along as the reports suggested.

Yet that all changed on Tuesday morning, as first El Bobble, and then The Athletic’s David Ornstein, wrote that Everton were in pole position to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

Hackney and his representatives were supposedly impressed by Everton’s presentation, and the 23-year-old — at the time of writing — prefers a move to Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Should Everton get a deal over the line for the midfielder, they would be signing a highly promising talent about to head into his prime years, but one who already has plenty of experience under his belt.

He has played 186 senior games, making 168 starts. He was the driving force behind Middlesbrough’s promotion push, which ended in heartbreak at Wembley last month, and was named Championship Player of the Season for 2025-26.

But, is he the midfielder Everton need?

There are doubts over several players in Everton’s squad in the middle of the park, not just in terms of quality, but also their immediate futures.

Carlos Alcaraz will likely be able to leave the club should a good enough offer come in, while Tim Iroegbunam attracted interest in January. At 22, Iroegbunam is still a developing talent, but he has only a year left on his deal (albeit, Everton reportedly hold an option to extend it) — however, his value is probably high enough at the moment that the Toffees could make a quick profit on the £10M outlay they initially spent on him in 2024.

There are question marks, too, over Idrissa Gana Gueye. He did not make enough starts in 2025-26 to activate the automatic renewal clause in his contract, and talks so far have not yielded a result in terms of a new deal.

Everton also need to make their mind up on Harrison Armstrong — whether he stays at the club or goes out on another loan, but the 19-year-old is ambitious and full of confidence. He should be prioritised and given the chance to step up.

Regardless, Everton definitely need something else in midfield, but I’m of the opinion that player should be a dominant presence both on and off the ball. They should be capable of sitting but also bursting forward. They should have positional discipline to plug the gaps that were far too apparent at times last season.

Now, those players do not come cheap, but if there’s one area of the pitch Everton should be looking to spend big on, I feel this is it. As much as they absolutely must buy some full-backs, those players tend to be available at a lower price than top-class central midfielders.

However, it appears Hackney is their priority target — at least, at this very early stage of the window. And he definitely has plenty to offer.

Let’s start with what Hackney is good at: He is excellent on the ball.

Too often, Everton’s moves break down in midfield. Whether that’s a lack of movement when trying to break down a stubborn defence, or a lack of ability to pick the right pass on the counter, we have seen it time and time again. There was far too much reliance on James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to provide a creative spark from the centre of the park in 2025-26, especially once Jack Grealish was injured.

And Hackney would certainly bring plenty in that department.

He contributed to 12 Championship goals last term, scoring 5 and supplying 7 assists. Hackney ranked 10th in the second tier for passes attempted and completed, while he topped the charts for passes in the final third (both attempted and successful).

His tally of 85 chances created ranked second, while he was first for chances created from open play (59).

An impressive 8.7 expected assists ranked sixth in the division, and his 8.1 expected assists from open play was second.

That doesn’t necessarily make Hackney a top-class passer — he is not of the Adam Wharton mould, for example. He is, though, an excellent ball-carrier, and it’s fair to say Everton still lack that profile in midfield.

Hackney was second for carry distance in the Championship in 2025-26, with his 8,852.4 metres ranking behind only Middlesbrough team-mate Luke Ayling.

He was fourth for the most carries attempted (779), and second for progressive carries (which is a carry of at least 10 metres towards the opponent’s goal). 

However, off the ball, Hackney can be found wanting.

He is certainly tenacious — he ranked 7th for possession won in the Championship this past season, 5th for duels contested and 10th for duels won. 

Yet he was often caught out of position and there would be concerns if he could match the physicality required to play in a team that are not controlling the ball for large periods. 

Of course, Hackney’s ability in possession would in theory lead to Everton having more of the ball, but the Premier League is a very different calibre to the Championship.

Perhaps, if they get this deal over the line, Everton would plan to use Garner as the deepest midfielder, and that is a role he has had some success in, particularly when Gueye went to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Yet Garner, too, can be caught out of position a bit too often. He has shown a brilliant desire, determination and capability to get back and make a last-ditch tackle, but ideally, you don’t want him to be having to do that, and you definitely don’t want two central midfielders having to do it.

There are pros and cons to this potential addition, though let’s at least credit Everton for moving swiftly in identifying an opportunity. Should they get it done, Hackney has a lot to offer, but will he present the immediate uplift the midfield needs? 

If he does sign, he must also be played. Even if not always a starter, he should be clocking up 30+ games, fitness permitting, and 1,500+ minutes. Everton cannot afford to make another big signing that David Moyes simply does not play.

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