Everton fans were left frustrated at the end of the 2025/26 season – and the pursuit of Hayden Hackney is doing little to appease those people.
Everton threw away a golden opportunity to secure European football at the end of the campaign.
The Toffees were eighth for weeks, but fell away and ultimately finished 13th.
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A big response is now needed, and Everton could really do with setting the tone and getting some deals done early – even though historically Everton are quiet in June.
In recent days, there has been some exciting talk about Hayden Hackney.
But the move has become complicated, and we will now see what The Friedkin Group are all about.
The Friedkin Group risk fan confidence plummeting as Hayden Hackney takes new turn
In recent days, it’s been claimed that Hackney’s preferred destination this summer would be Everton.
That alone is a big deal.
It was also then claimed that Everton have been tracking Hackney for as long as two years. So this is a player Everton really want to sign and have reason to believe he’d be a great fit.
But Everton don’t appear to be acting with urgency here.
The club have seen two bids for Hackney turned down so far, with Middlesbrough holding out for about £20 million, plus £5 million in bonuses.
Yes, that is a relatively high valuation for a player with only one year left on his contract.
But the fact of the matter is, Hackney is a player with serious potential and is already becoming a complete midfielder.
And the biggest thing of all is that he is very coveted. Indeed, Crystal Palace are now thought to be preparing a bid that is close to Boro’s asking price. Tottenham are also lurking over Hackney.
While Everton are still thought to be Hackney’s preference, the Eagles can offer Europa League football after winning the Conference League.
Surely if the player gets the sense that Everton aren’t showing a true willingness to pay the necessary amount, he may start exploring that move to Palace.
It would be a really bad look for The Friedkin Group if Everton lost out on Hackney from here, knowing what we know.
Everton need a transfer budget of at least _________ this summer
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He wants to come, he would be a great fit, and Everton kept their powder dry in January. So forking out the money should not be an issue.
If Hackney joins another club having wanted Everton, then The Friedkins are going to end up losing the support and confidence of a lot of fans, with many already starting to question just how ruthless and ambitious the new owners really are.
Successfully getting a deal done for Hackney after facing a bit of pressure would communicate to the fans that Everton are serious operators, so hopefully TFG will stump up the cash to get this over the line.
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