Hayden Hackney to Everton already looks like the bargain of the summer after £50m update

Add as preferred source on Google

Everton’s decision to sign Hayden Hackney may already be looking like one of the bargains of the summer.

Following weeks of negotiations with Middlesbrough, Everton finally got their man after announcing Hackney’s arrival on Thursday.

Everton secured Hackney for an initial fee of £16.5m, which could potentially rise depending on whether certain targets are met.

There were a number of other midfielders on Everton’s radar heading into the summer transfer window.

One name Everton liked was Arthur Atta, whose new price tag is already highlighting the absolute steal in which Hackney could prove to be.

Everton target Arthur Atta’s valuation rises to £50m

Atta had been valued in the region of £34m this summer, with a number of Premier League clubs showing an interest in him.

Clearly, things have changed as TalkSPORT claim Udinese have now significantly increased that asking price to the £50m mark.

This comes just hours after Everton secured the signing of Hackney on a five-year deal.

Now Hackney is confirmed, who should Everton be bringing in next? 💰

Time to take our foot off the brake pedal in the market…

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

There is a belief that Everton are still eyeing another midfield signing this summer as they prepare for a number of potential departures from Merseyside.

However, the increase in price for Atta may well push him out of reach for the Toffees.

Not only does this make Atta unattainable, but it also shows just how well Everton have done in landing a player of Hackney’s potential for such a low fee.

Hayden Hackney significantly outperformed Arthur Atta last season

Everton have potentially landed themselves a real bargain with Hackney when you compare how he performed in comparison to Atta.

Although it must be considered that Hackney was playing in the second-tier of English football, he outshone Atta in just about every relevant metric.

In Hackney, Everton have seemingly signed the more well-rounded midfielder, with the 23-year-old offering plenty both with the ball at his feet and out of possession.

Hackney (208) considerably outperformed Atta (110) in ball recoveries, with the new Everton signing almost doubling the return of Atta.

Defensively, Everton have signed a much more solid midfielder.

However, Hackney (85) also created more than double (34) the number of chances for his teammates last season.

The only area in which Atta struck an advantage was in a marginally better take-on success rate, which Hackney was not too far behind in.

Considering Atta would cost Everton around three times the price they paid for Hackney, it is clear to see why the Blues opted to sign Hackney from Boro.