David Moyes now has Everton ready to go close to a £20M fee for Hayden Hackney after Middlesbrough turned down two earlier bids. The move would push the transfer much closer to the level Middlesbrough want, with the midfielder entering the final 12 months of his contract.
Hackney and Moyes
Hayden Hackney is 24 and his 2025-26 season gives the chase real weight. He was named the Championship's Player of the Season, scored 5 league goals and added 7 assists while leading all Championship midfielders for progressive carries.
That output came even as Middlesbrough slipped out of automatic promotion contention and then lost the play-off final to Hull City. Hackney also missed part of the run-in through injury, but his season still left him among the most sought-after players in the market.
Middlesbrough want more
Middlesbrough are now reluctantly ready to sanction a sale, but they are holding out for a fee in excess of £20M. Everton's earlier approaches were believed to be around £12M and £15M, which left a gap too wide for a deal at that stage.
Alan Nixon said Everton are ready to go close to £20M, but Crystal Palace are not prepared to match that figure. Palace are instead ready to offer David Ozoh as a sweetener, and the 21-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan in the Championship at Derby County, making 47 appearances there.
Crystal Palace and Derby County
The structure now matters as much as the headline number. Everton are moving toward Middlesbrough's valuation in cash, while Crystal Palace are leaning on a player exchange route that changes the shape of any deal rather than simply lifting the fee.
For Hackney, the next step depends on whether Middlesbrough decide that a bid close to £20M is enough after already turning away lower offers. For Everton, the chase has reached the point where the size of the final offer will decide whether Moyes gets his midfielder or watches Palace try a different route.
