Everton secures £16m Hackney deal on stadium appeal

Everton has paid at least £16m to acquire midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough. The 24-year-old, who was the 2025-26 Championship player of the season, has signed a five-year contract.

The transfer represents a significant asset realisation for Middlesbrough, albeit a forced one. Hackney had only a single year remaining on his contract, leaving the club little choice but to sell a player who joined their academy at Under-10 level. Middlesbrough missed out on Premier League promotion in May after losing the play-off final 1-0 to Hull City, accelerating his departure.

For Everton, securing the England Under-21 international ahead of Crystal Palace demonstrates the growing commercial pull of the club's new Hill Dickinson Stadium. Hackney explicitly cited the venue and the club's trajectory as deciding factors. "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," he said.

Manager David Moyes framed the acquisition in financial and sporting terms, highlighting a history of identifying lower-league talent. "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," Moyes said. That strategy successfully won over Hackney, who saw a winter approach from Nottingham Forest rejected before choosing Everton.

The deal is part of a broader squad restructuring at Everton. The club is also close to finalising a permanent transfer for Chelsea winger Tyrique George following a loan spell. These moves signal an intent to solidify Premier League standing by extracting value from the Championship market, leaving Middlesbrough to replace a homegrown player who made 154 appearances.