Everton are close to landing Hayden Hackney, but the numbers around the move are still not fully aligned. One report puts the deal at an initial £16.5million. Another says the package could reach £25million. What seems clearer is that Everton have made him one of their top summer targets and negotiations are nearing completion.

The fee still needs settling

John Percy of The Telegraph said negotiations could be finalised this week. TEAMtalk’s sources were more specific on the money, with those close to Everton pointing to an initial fee of around £16.5million and sources with connections to Middlesbrough saying the deal will amount to £25million.

That gap explains why the story has moved carefully rather than cleanly. BBC reporting had already suggested Everton were close to a deal and that Hackney could become their first summer signing, but the exact structure remains the part that still matters.

Why Everton want him now

The football case is easy enough to see. Everton finished 13th in the Premier League and collected 49 points in 38 league matches, a season that pointed to stability without much cushion above the bottom half. Adding a midfielder of Hackney's profile fits that level of need.

Hackney also has one year left on his Middlesbrough contract, which puts the club under pressure to make a decision rather than sit on the situation. He was named the Championship’s Player of the Season, and that sort of recognition usually brings serious attention when a player is entering the final year of a deal.

Middlesbrough’s end to the season also adds weight to the timing. They lost the Championship play-off final to Hull City at Wembley last month, so the club are now facing the prospect of losing an academy graduate at the point when his market value is strongest.

The move is not done yet, but it is clearly moving. The next update should tell us whether Everton land Hackney on the lower headline figure or with the add-on heavy package that sources in the North East are already talking about.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →