The season has been over for a few weeks now, but Everton have finally confirmed their first signing of the summer. Midfielder Hayden Hackney has joined the Blues from Championship side Middlesbrough, coming to Everton on a five-year deal.
Speculation had been rampant for the last few weeks about Hackney's interest in joining Everton, with insiders finally confirming that the move was done earlier this week. Hackney, who just turned 24 years old, has reportedly joined via a £16.5 million fee that can rise to £25 million based on certain criteria.
According to his interview with evertontv, the midfielder said, "I'm delighted to be here. As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, to be honest, 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."
The England U21 international went on to praise David Moyes' experience with bringing up players from lower levels, noting that "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."
For his part, Moyes has the same ideas about Hackney's role for this upcoming season, saying that "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.
"He’s an England Under-21 international who will provide greater competition in midfield, which is something I wanted going into the new season," Moyes continued.
The Everton midfield appears to be undergoing a bit of an overhaul this summer. With Hackney in and speculation around the future of players like Idrissa Gana Gueye, Tim Iroegbunam, and Charly Alcaraz, it wouldn't be shocking to see a rotation that barely resembles last season's group.
James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are certain to be in the mix and should be regular starters, but the potential loss of Gana and Iroegbunam, in particular, could leave a hole in the mix, one that Hackney isn't necessarily suited to fill.
But there are still plenty of rumors centered around further additions to the engine room, many of whom include replacements for Gana.
The biggest need, finding a starting right back and likely a deputy as well, still exists for Everton with this signing, but it is good to see the club get one over the line.
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