Hayden Hackney is keen to work under David Moyes despite his growing reputation at Everton.
A deal for the midfielder is believed to have taken a significant step forward in recent hours after Everton made their proposal.
Angus Kinnear has convinced Hackney Everton is the club for him during a recent presentation with the player and his agency.
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The prospect of playing under Moyes may come with a certain stigma, but Hackney feels Merseyside is the right opportunity.
Hayden Hackney is keen to play under David Moyes at Everton
Everton have fought off a lot of competition for the midfielder, with Manchester United keen to sign Hackney this summer.
There is a host of Premier League clubs lined up to share their proposal to the Boro star, but he has seemingly decided on Everton.
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The Daily Mail have reported that Hackney is keen to link up with Moyes as he feels he has a good chance at playing first-team football.
Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were also credited as interested clubs in the report.
However, recent history may well suggest that may not be the case.
Hackney should consider Tyler Dibling’s struggles at Everton
Playing for Boro this season, Hackney has made 41 appearances across all competitions.
The 23-year-old will fancy his chances at Everton, but so did Tyler Dibling less than 12 months ago when he landed on Merseyside.
Moyes has barely used Dibling, despite his having impressed for Southampton in the Premier League.
The Scotsman has had real difficulty trusting his younger players at Everton.
Adam Aznou, Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George are other examples of youngsters who landed over the last year and have failed to excel under Moyes.
| Player | 2025/26 minutes |
| Tyler Dibling | 513 |
| Adam Aznou | 34 |
| Merlin Rohl | 764 |
| Tyrique George | 210 |
Obviously, fans will be delighted to see the club working hard to get a head start in the market before the World Cup kicks off.
But there has to be a feeling of potential déjà vu in signing another young, promising player with little Premier League experience.
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