Everton are already in discussions over a new signing, before the first week of June has even ended.
The Toffees are in talks with Middlesbrough over a deal for Hayden Hackney as David Moyes aims to increase the technical ability of Everton’s squad this summer, according to The Athletic.
A move for the 2025/26 Championship Player of the Year would certainly be a wise way to do that, and an agreement for Hackney could also cause a problem for Andoni Iraola in his new job with bitter rivals Liverpool.
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Everton could stop Liverpool from signing Adam Wharton
The Athletic say Crystal Palace are also keen to sign the Middlesbrough No.7 this summer, amid a period where Liverpool are circling around Adam Wharton.
The Daily Mail even say the Crystal Palace No.20 is a ‘dream’ target for those at Anfield.
However, the UEFA Conference League winners are highly unlikely to sell Wharton before finding a replacement, even more so considering his fellow midfielders Jefferson Lerma and Daichi Kamada are on the verge of free agency.
Hackney would be a suitable replacement for Wharton, and those at Selhurst Park would presumably be more open to doing business with Liverpool if they managed to sign the Middlesbrough star first.
However, if Everton beat Crystal Palace to the England U21 international, it could throw a spanner in the works for Liverpool.
It would either prevent Wharton joining Liverpool entirely, or delay the deal well into the summer, posing a problem for Iraola as he aims to get signings in quickly and imprint his philosophy on his new squad.
Everton need a transfer budget of at least _________ this summer
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So, not only could Everton take advantage of the fact Hackney only has 12 months left on his Middlesbrough contract and potentially sign the 23-year-old for just £10m this summer, but the bargain deal may also throw a spanner in the works for Liverpool.
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