Everton are closing in on the signing of Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.
It has been reported by the Telegraph’s John Percy that Everton are close to agreeing a £25m deal for Hackney.
How would you feel about Hayden Hackney becoming Everton’s first signing? 🤩
There is an understanding that a full agreement will be reached later this week, so it very much looks as though Hackney will be the first signing of the summer.
Ahead of the Boro captain’s arrival, we’ve picked out two winners and one loser from the transfer.
Two winners from Hayden Hackney signing
Everton strikers
Hackney is a striker’s dream as he has exceptional vision, so he’ll be able to create a lot of chances for the likes of Beto, Thierno Barry and the new centre-forward, who could be Liam Delap.
The England under-21 European champion laid on seven assists from midfield last term and created a staggering 83 chances in total.
He also recovered the ball 205 times, so there may be a lot of turnovers next term and quick counter-attacks.
What would you do with Idrissa Gana Gueye this summer? 😬
He's got a one-year extension clause in his deal…
Takes the load off James Garner
James Garner started all 38 Premier League games last season and even played the full 90 in all of them bar one.
That’s obviously not sustainable, and it certainly isn’t optimal for the 25-year-old, who should be rested to avoid burnout and potential injuries.
So, Hackney’s arrival is a positive for Garner, as Moyes will feel a lot more comfortable resting the former Man United midfielder.
Hopefully, that will only help his level improve as he’ll have fresher legs and more gears to go through.
One loser from Hackney deal
Harrison Armstrong’s development could be stunted
The only notable drawback of signing Hackney is how it could negatively impact the development of Harrison Armstrong.
Armstrong was already struggling for game time towards the back end of last season, and now he’s going to be even further behind in the pecking order.
It has recently been reported that Armstrong’s camp are looking at loan moves in Germany and France.
Hopefully the 19-year-old still has a long-term future on Merseyside.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
