.jpg){kind=link}
Everton’s pursuit of Middlesbrough’s central midfielder Hayden Hackney is close to coming to an end. The Toffees are believed to have agreed a fee that could rise to £25m for the highly-rated midfielder, with the initial fee believed to be around £16m plus add-ons.
Hackney has one year left on his contract with the north east club, and is reported to be keen on making the move to the Toffees.
Hackney has been a standout in the Championship
The 24-year-old has been one of the standout players in the Championship in the last few years. In fact, the Boro captain not only won his club’s Player of the Year award, he also won the Championship Player of the Year award, having helped the north east club to the second-tier play-offs.
He scored five goals and produced eight assists for Boro in 38 league appearances. However, he picked up an injury towards the end of the season that saw him play just 20 minutes in the play-offs.
Finally making the step up in quality
Hackney is highly-regarded, having not only impressed for Middlesbrough, but also for the England U-21’s in recent years. Many have been surprised that he hasn’t earned a Premier League move earlier in his career.
Over the last few summers, Hackney has been linked with big-money moves to Premier League clubs, but a move to the top flight never materialised.
Given his contract situation, it now seems the ideal time for Hackney to leave his childhood club and test his abilities in the Premier League.
The midfielder had also been linked with moves to Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Brighton. However, he reportedly had eyes only on a move to Everton due to his desire to work with Everton boss David Moyes.
The midfielder will be keen to prove himself if, as expected, he does complete the move to Merseyside. He has already shown his quality and mettle in the Championship. It seems he could be showcasing his ability in the Premier League next season.