Everton are showing a strong interest in Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.
In fact, according to David Ornstein, Everton are leading the race to sign Hayden Hackney, with the Boro captain keen on making the switch to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Hackney, who was recently crowned the Championship Player of the Season, is believed to be valued at around £30m.
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David Moyes will likely have spoken to his former Toffees midfielder Lee Carsley, who has managed Hackney at England under-21s level.
In fact, Carsley has already publicly spoken about the type of player and character the young Englishman is, so Moyes will have a very good understanding of the role he could play on Merseyside.
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Lee Carsley says Everton target Hayden Hackney is a ‘creative’ midfielder
Speaking during the Under-21 European Championships last summer, which England won, Carsley described Hackney as a ‘creative’ midfielder and noted that he’s quite a shy character.
“He’s definitely evolved as a player,” the 52-year-old said.
“I’m not sure where he’s going to be an absolute expert in terms of his forward passing and being creative or maybe a little bit deeper and being creative from that position.
“I still think physically as well he can improve on that side of the game. But from a leadership point of view, the fact that he’s captain – there’s two or three as well that have captain teams in this group – it’s a great sign.
“Especially at a big club like Middlesbrough where you have that responsibility to lead. He’s a massive part of the team.
“He’s a quietish guy, very unassuming. He’s highly thought of at Middlesbrough and he’s a player that we enjoy having with us.”
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Clearly, Hackney is a completely different profile to Idrissa Gana Gueye, who seems to be leaving upon the expiry of his contract this summer.
So, perhaps that suggests that Moyes is looking to make Everton a more possession-based team next term, or at least a bit better on the ball.
To take the next step, the Toffees will have to move away from just being a counter-attacking team, as they seemed to struggle at home when the onus was on them to attack and break down teams.
There’s a lot to like about the potential Hackney signing, so hopefully the club can wrap up a deal before interest mounts.
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