Everton Near £25m Hackney Agreement
Middlesbrough and Everton are moving closer to an agreement for Hayden Hackney, with the deal expected to be worth around £25 million plus add-ons, according to the latest report from Teesside.
The transfer has not yet been fully agreed, but Everton are said to have improved their offer after seeing three previous bids rejected. Middlesbrough had maintained that Hackney would only be sold if their valuation was met, with the midfielder’s future under scrutiny after Boro missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Hackney was named Championship Player of the Year last season after scoring five goals and registering six assists. Boro accepted an offer in the region of £20 million from Ipswich Town last summer, but the midfielder rejected that move in favour of staying with his boyhood club for another promotion push.
The report states there is now an acceptance that the time is right for Hackney to make the move to the Premier League. Everton have pushed hardest for him this summer, despite interest from a number of top-flight clubs.
For Middlesbrough, the fee would count as pure profit under SCR calculations and could be reinvested as Kim Hellberg reshapes his squad. Boro are closing in on Hull City striker Kyle Joseph for around £5 million, while Lewis Dobbin is also on their shortlist. Hackney’s exit would leave them needing two central midfielders, with a senior goalkeeper, a left-back and further attacking additions also wanted.
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