Hackney has left the Teessiders in a deal that sees Everton pay £17m in an up-front fee, with a further £8m of potential add-ons, which are regarded as highly achievable, taking the value of the overall transfer to £25m.
Redcar-born Hackney has signed a five-year deal with Everton, having rebuffed approaches from a number of other Premier League clubs in order to move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Go smash it, Hayden 👊 pic.twitter.com/X6EMLljpUj
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) July 2, 2026
The 24-year-old rejected a possible move to Ipswich Town last summer, remaining on Teesside to play a pivotal role in the run that took Boro to the play-off final as he was named Championship Player of the Season.
He was unable to play in the final two months of the regular league season after suffering an injury, but returned to make his final Boro appearance as a substitute in the Wembley defeat to Hull City.
“I’m delighted to be here,” said Hackney, in his first interview as an Everton player with evertontv. “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 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.
"It feels like a good fit for me, for sure. I think it's a given that you work hard, you run, you make tackles. I'll be doing that.
"I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively. I think I can carry the ball well, arrive late in the box, and hopefully score some goals. I think there's plenty more to come from me. Obviously, I haven't played in the Premier League yet, so once I get used to that I think I can kick on from there.
"It was big for me to get it done before the start of pre-season. I wanted to be here on day one and do the whole pre-season with the lads. I can't wait for it. It helps with everything. Obviously, it's a new set of lads who I'll get used to and then also living down here. I'm delighted."
Hackney, who is a product of the Rockliffe Park academy, leaves Boro having made 154 senior appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals.
"It feels like signing for Everton is ideal timing," added Hackney. "I feel that last season really developed me more as a player in all aspects of my game.
"Obviously, I thank Middlesbrough for the time that I was there, which was unbelievable, but now I feel ready and feel it's time to make the change and I'm really looking forward to it.
"There are some unbelievable players here and the competition is going to be tough but I'm ready to get going and to compete."