Update offered on Hayden Hackney saga with Everton ready to improve bid

Harry Diamond 26/06/2026 26comments | Jump to last

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Everton saw two offers for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney rejected earlier this summer, with public progress on a potential deal almost non-existent in recent weeks.

Hackney, we were told, wanted Everton despite interest from Premier League rivals, though the Toffees have been unable to close a deal. Everton's offers are believed to have been around £12M and £15M for the 24-year-old, who was named as the Championship's Player of the Season for 2025-26.

He scored 5 league goals and added 7 assists, while leading all Championship midfielders for progressive carries.

Middlesbrough's poor run-in coincided with Hackney's absence through injury, as the North East side fell out of automatic promotion contention, before losing the play-off final to Hull City. The club are now reluctantly ready to sanction the academy product's sale, with Hackney having only 12 months to run on his current contract.

Boro are understood to be holding out for a fee in excess of £20M, with Crystal Palace also pursuing the player. Journalist Alan Nixon has now provided an update on the summer saga, and it appears a positive one for Evertonians.

Nixon claims Everton are ready to 'go close' to a £20M fee in a bid to get a deal done, a figure Palace are not prepared to match.

However, the Eagles are instead ready to offer 21-year-old midfielder David Ozoh as a sweetener in any deal. Ozoh has spent the last two seasons on loan in the Championship at Derby County, where he has made 47 appearances.

Reader Comments (26)

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Mark Ryan
1 Posted 26/06/2026 at 12:13:43

Taxi for Everton

Jack Convery
2 Posted 26/06/2026 at 12:21:13

Mark - I saw what you did there.

Andrew Ellams
3 Posted 26/06/2026 at 12:37:14

I think we'll get him and he's a good player but it will be a waste if we don't improve what's around him

Malcolm Kitchen
4 Posted 26/06/2026 at 14:05:46

He is quality Andrew, Boro looked nailed on for Automatic promotion then Hackney got injured and their form suffered. Just made it into the play offs then Saints beat them but messed up with spygate, then lost the Final. He was the Championship player of the year! If we get Jack I'd play him at 10, can do his magic there! I'd go back to Chelsea and get George & play him left and Ndiaye right! KDH & Hackney cen mid, Jimmy Def mid, Gana as back up!

Raymond Fox
5 Posted 26/06/2026 at 14:18:24

Get him bought!

£20M is peanuts for a good player.

Iain Johnston
6 Posted 26/06/2026 at 14:27:39

For me, nothing will happen until after 1 July.

The Club want to shift Iroegbunam for close to £20M and his value will be amortised down to £3M on that date. This increases our profit margin and will offset a deal for Hackney.

Let's not forget that we're already committed to buy Rohl for £20M too.

Ray Said
7 Posted 26/06/2026 at 14:34:02

A good player (and likely to get better) in a vital position who could allow Garner to break forward a bit more where he can show his creativity more.

He could be a very good and long-term replacement for Gueye and, in the current market, it seems a very 'doable' price. This is exactly the type of deal we should be very focussed on concluding early.

Martin Berry
8 Posted 26/06/2026 at 15:30:26

An absolute bargain.

Player of the season in the Championship, something that should not be sniffed at.

A player at the right age and no doubt keen to prove himself at the highest level, get it done!

Eric Myles
9 Posted 26/06/2026 at 16:28:01

Considering what we paid for Dibling, £20m isn't worth arguing about.

Bobby Mallon
10 Posted 26/06/2026 at 19:24:01

Fans need to fuck Everton off. Don't buy anything at the store, we are cheap bastards who always scrimp.

And whilst I'm on one, where the fuck is Moyes the ginger prick. He fucking needs to be here buying the right-back we need, the striker we need, and a new centre-back.

Eric Myles
11 Posted 26/06/2026 at 20:23:53

Bobby, he's told the ace recruitment team what he needs...

Now it's all down to them to produce the goods while he sits back and relaxes.

Michael Kenrick
12 Posted 26/06/2026 at 20:51:19

Bobby,

I think you've got the wrong end of a shitty stick there. If you want to see Everton spending more money to buy better players and give you more to get behind...

Well, how can I put this delicately?

Perhaps you should consider more ways in which you can support the club, buy the merch, do the stadium tour... because only with higher commercial income will we be able to move up the net spend table.

You know it makes sense.

Kevin Molloy
13 Posted 26/06/2026 at 20:57:03

Relax, the recruitment team are world class.

Ian Horan
14 Posted 26/06/2026 at 21:45:33

The only thing the recruitment team need to source for Moyes is a taxi!!!

Disheartened, disconnected, and disillusioned from Wirral.

James Flynn
15 Posted 26/06/2026 at 23:09:11

So, negotiations are moving along.

Josh Horne
16 Posted 27/06/2026 at 10:39:19

Is he any good at right-back?

I guess we will find out soon enough.

Ajay Gopal
17 Posted 27/06/2026 at 12:58:24

This only makes sense if Iroegbunam is being sold. Otherwise, I fear that Rohl, Armstrong and Hackney (if we sign him) will all be competing for 1 midfield position.

While we don't have any player at right-back and no decent left-back back-up to Mykolenko.

Bobby Mallon
18 Posted 27/06/2026 at 13:08:56

Micheal @12,

I've done the tour, gone the games, bought the merch -- and not only for me: I have two sons. But what am I and us the fans getting back in return? Fuck all.

We have a manager (this really got my goat) swanning off to America to comment on shitty Scotland and talking our next season down when he should be here buying players.

To be honest, I wish they would get rid and get Glasner in. I am mad: we should be playing in Europe.

Since the turn of the century, Everton are the only club in the Football League not to win a trophy or have been promoted. It's a rather unfortunate distinction for a club with such a rich history.

Ian Wilkins
19 Posted 27/06/2026 at 13:44:53

Good recruitment is everything.

Dibling joined for £35M+, has lost a footballing season, depreciated in value, doesn't fit a Moyes defensive strategy.

Contrast with Rayan at Bournemouth, joined for £24.5M, instant Premier League success, started for Brazil at the World Cup, value going up by the day.

Recruitment is integral to success. I can't comment on Hackney and other targets, but I hope this recruitment team is up to the job.

Phil Roberts
20 Posted 27/06/2026 at 16:27:13

Since the turn of the century, Everton are one of the few clubs in the Football League not to be relegated.
Bit more positive than not promoted, because you need to be relegated first.

Adrian Phillips
21 Posted 27/06/2026 at 20:26:09

If Leeds are looking to up a rejected offer of £20M for Shea Charles to around £25M due to his impressive run with Southampton in the Championship...

Would suggest that gives some sort of benchmark for Hayden Hackney.

Phil Roberts
22 Posted 27/06/2026 at 21:23:24

Bobby, I was wrong. Apologies.

Newport Country promoted to League 2 in 2013 have never been relegated since 2000 and are still in League 2
Salford City promoted to League 2 in 2019 have never been relegated since 2000 and are still in League 2
Bromley promoted to League 2 in 2024 and promoted to League 1 last season and Spurs, Arsenal, United, Chelsea and "that lot" who have also not been relegated but won something.

As for the other 83 other teams celebrating a promotion, all of them have done so because they have had one relegation or up to seven (Rotherham United) in the last 25 years.

And then there is Everton who have never been relegated since 2000 (actually 1952) but not celebrated anything - Cup Win, League Win, Promotion.
Personally, I would take not getting relegated more than winning promotion. Getting relegated so we can celebrate a promotion feels sort of hollow. But Bobby, if that is what you want. . . well I don't.

Eric Myles
23 Posted 27/06/2026 at 21:51:42

Ajay #17, more like we don't have a decent left back that Mykolenko can be back up to.

Dave Abrahams
24 Posted 27/06/2026 at 22:01:02

Phil (22),

We were relegated in 1951, not 1952.

Phil Roberts
25 Posted 28/06/2026 at 21:32:35

Dave, thanks. I always thought we only had 2 seasons in a lower division not 3 (plus the 1 in 1930-1).

Kevin Molloy
26 Posted 29/06/2026 at 13:48:47

Get ready.

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