The £16.9m signing of Iliman Ndiaye from Marseille back in July 2024 has proven to be one of the best deals Everton have made in recent years.
The Senegal international has gone on to register 20 goal involvements across 71 appearances in the form of 17 goals and three assists. He has also written himself into Everton folklore, becoming the last player to score at Goodison Park and the first to net in the Premier League at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It has proven to be an exceptional use of £16.9m – but the Toffees could be about to find even greater value for money in Hayden Hackney.
How would you feel about Hayden Hackney becoming Everton’s first signing? 🤩
Why Hayden Hackney could prove to be a better acquisition than Iliman Ndiaye
The Telegraph believe The Friedkin Group want to make the Middlesbrough No.7 their first signing of the summer, and amazingly, the report states he is expected to cost just £10m.
Hackney – who Everton are yet to bid for – just won the Championship Player of the Season award, a prize not even Ndiaye was able to lift despite netting 14 goals and assisting 11 more across 46 appearances in the 2023/24 campaign.
The England U21 international is just 23 years of age and was handed the captain’s armband at Middlesbrough back in November, meaning he is younger than Ndiaye was when Everton signed him at the age of 24 – and also possesses leadership qualities the former Marseille man may lack.
The £10m fee is also attractive as Idrissa Gueye – the man he is expected to replace – looks set to leave on a free transfer, which would mean Everton take a small financial loss having paid £2m to sign him back from PSG in September 2022.
The Athletic say Hackney has “expressed an early desire” to join Everton despite interest from Crystal Palace and Tottenham – so this deal looks quite likely for David Moyes as things stand.
If you were Angus Kinnear who would you be going all out for this summer? 💰
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