Hackney: signed, sealed, and in for day one
It’s done. Everton confirmed the signing of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough on Thursday morning, with the midfielder putting pen to paper on a five-year deal that ties him to the Hill Dickinson Stadium until June 2031. The fee is officially undisclosed, though reporting throughout the week pointed to an initial figure around £16.5m rising towards £25m through add-ons. David Moyes‘ first signing of the summer – and a proper one.
What have we got? A 24-year-old, ball-carrying midfielder who captained Boro and was crowned Championship Player of the Season after dragging them to the play-off final. More than 150 appearances for his hometown club, an England U21 European champion in 2025, and – crucially – a player who wanted Everton. He had his pick of Premier League suitors and made it clear the decision was never in doubt once Moyes came calling, citing the manager’s track record of turning Championship talent into Premier League players.
The fit is obvious to anyone who watched us last season. Progressing the ball through midfield – by pass or, more often in Hackney’s case, by carry – has been Everton’s most glaring weakness for years. A midfielder who takes the ball under pressure and moves the team 30 yards up the pitch? That’s been missing for a long time. Add captaincy experience, an eye for arriving late in the box, and a tenacity that will play well with this fanbase, and it’s easy to see why Moyes made him a priority from day one of the window.
Just as encouraging: the deal was pushed through specifically so Hackney could report for the first day of pre-season with his new teammates. No saga, no deadline-day panic. The one caveat is that he’s never kicked a ball in the Premier League, and his handful of cup outings against top-flight opposition came in losing Boro sides. The step up is real. But at that price, at that age, with that profile, this is exactly the kind of bet a well-run Everton should be making.
And if you won’t take our word for it, take Teesside’s. We’ve been through how Middlesbrough fans reacted to the deal, and the verdict from the people who watched him every week is telling: fury at their own club over the fee – “that’s not a deal, it’s a steal” was the recurring theme – mixed with genuine affection for a local lad they’ve nicknamed “Redcar’s Ronaldo”. One likened his departure to Juninho leaving the Riverside; another, posting on our own forum, called him the best homegrown talent Boro have produced in decades and rated him above a certain Morgan Rogers at the same stage. There are a few doubters predicting a season on the bench – screenshot those for May – but when the overwhelming message from a rival fanbase is “you’ve robbed us”, Evertonians can feel very good about this one.
George: not done yet – but the talks are live
The club opted against triggering the agreed option for Tyrique George from his loan spell, judging the fee too rich, but negotiations with Chelsea have continued for several weeks over a lower price. The 20-year-old winger impressed enough during his year on Merseyside that most Blues would welcome the deal – the question is whether Chelsea blink first. With a new manager decluttering at Stamford Bridge and plenty of exits planned, Everton’s patience may yet be rewarded.
If it comes off at a reduced fee, it’s smart business twice over: a known quantity secured below the original asking price, with the savings freed up for the positions that still need serious surgery.
Gueye: out of contract, out of the World Cup — so what now?
As one midfielder arrives, anothers hangs in the air. Idrissa Gana Gueye is now officially out of contract, his deal having expired on 1 July with no extension agreed – meaning that, technically, one of the finest servants of the modern era is no longer an Everton player.
And his summer got worse last night. Senegal crashed out of the World Cup in the most brutal fashion imaginable – 3-2 to Belgium after extra time in Seattle, having led 2-0, with Youri Tielemans converting a contentious 125th-minute penalty that will go down as one of the latest winning goals in World Cup history. Gueye, still trusted in the engine room at 36, was withdrawn in the 96th minute, and questions have already been asked in the Senegalese press about whether hooking him and Ndiaye cost them the tie.
So what happens now? Any new deal almost certainly means accepting a reduced role, in a midfield that’s being actively reshaped – Charly Alcaraz is attracting interest from River Plate, and Tim Iroegbunam is available at the right price.
Nobody needs telling what Gana has given this club across two spells. Sentiment says give him the year; squad-building logic says the midfield is being rebuilt around younger legs. Both things can be true. However it resolves, he deserves better than drifting out the door on a technicality – and if this is the end, it has to come with a proper send-off.
Grealish, the right-back hole, and the number nine
Three more threads to keep an eye on as pre-season looms:
Grealish. His loan has expired and he’s technically Manchester City’s player again, but talks between the clubs have been ongoing for a while. The player wants it, Moyes wants it, the fans want it – the sticking point is structure, with another loan understood to be Everton’s preferred route.
Right-back. A Rico Lewis link surfaced this week, and now Aaron Wan-Bissaka is out of the world cup that move could gather pace.
The number nine. Everton are reported to be in pole position for Liam Delap, with a contract offer made and intermediaries working on personal terms as Chelsea prepare to cut their losses after his nightmare debut season at Stamford Bridge. The Blues want to recoup their £30m outlay – early noise suggested £40m, but sources indicate the price could drift closer to £30m as the window wears on. Everton went all out to sign him from Ipswich last summer before Chelsea did; twelve months and one goal later, the chance is there to get the 12-goal-a-season version at a discount. Moyes has never stopped rating him. Elsewhere, an enquiry has gone in for Gabriel Jesus, and Wilson Isidor’s World Cup form has reportedly nudged him back onto the radar – all against the backdrop of Thierno Barry‘s uncertain future, with RB Leipzig sniffing around. A striker is the one signing that would genuinely lift the ceiling of Moyes’s second season back.
World Cup watch
Jordan Pickford continues to do Jordan Pickford things for England as the knockout rounds unfold, while Iliman Ndiaye heads home after Senegal’s heartbreak – hooked in the 73rd minute despite being, in the eyes of the Senegalese press, one of their best players on the night. A cruel end for him, but a quiet silver lining for Everton’s planning: with the mandatory rest period, he’ll likely miss the Dundee and Bolton friendlies but could feature against Stoke on 28 July.
The verdict
A week ago this window felt quiet. Today: the Championship Player of the Season signed and in the building for day one of pre-season, live negotiations for George, a genuine push for Delap, and the Grealish and right-back situations bubbling away.
What do you make of the Hackney signing – and should the club move heaven and earth for Delap? Have your say on the Grand Old Team forums.