The 24-year-old had spent his entire career with Boro, his boyhood club, apart from a season-long loan spell at Scunthorpe United in 2021/22.
Yet after suffering relegation to the Championship last season, the Blues went strong on targeting Hackney, with a bid understood to be in the region of £15m plus add-ons accepted by Boro. In the end, the midfielder turned down the chance to move to Portman Road.
He remained at the Riverside Stadium, helping Middlesbrough reach the Championship play-off final (with help from the 'Spygate' saga) while winning the Player of the Year award in the second tier.
Signing for the Toffees! ✍️
— Everton (@Everton) July 2, 2026
However, failure to secure promotion meant that a departure from Teesside was always likely.
While Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Spurs and RB Leipzig were all linked, Everton have won the race for Hackney, with the initial fee reported to be £16.5m.
"I'm delighted to be here," he said . "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."