Everton signed midfielder Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough on a five-year deal announced on July 2, 2026 [1, 2]. The 24-year-old was named the Championship Player of the Season for 2025-26 after making 41 appearances and captaining Middlesbrough throughout the campaign [3, 1, 2].
Hackney played a key role in Middlesbrough's run to the Championship playoff final in May 2026, where they narrowly lost 1-0 to Hull City and missed out on promotion to the Premier League [3, 1, 2]. He had one year remaining on his contract before the transfer [3, 4].
The initial transfer fee for Hackney is widely reported between £16 million and £16.5 million, with potential add-ons that could raise the total to £25 million, including clauses linked to Hackney's international appearances for England [3, 1, 4, 2]. Press reports suggest Everton view Hackney as a promising young talent with experience captaining a side and proven ability in the Championship [3, 4].
Everton manager 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" [4].
Hackney, who was part of the England team that won the Under-21 European Championship in 2025, said the manager’s history of successfully transitioning players from the Championship to the Premier League influenced his decision. "The manager's track record of bringing players from the Championship to the Premier League was a massive part of my decision as well. Hopefully I can be the next one to do it successfully for Everton" [1]. He also highlighted Everton’s stadium and club direction as key factors: "As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, 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" [4].
Interest in Hackney had also come from Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, but he chose Everton amid their clear plans for growth [3, 4]. Everton is also reportedly close to signing winger Tyrique George from Chelsea, indicating further squad strengthening [4].
Hackney will now join Everton’s pre-season preparations as the club looks to bolster its midfield ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
