Overview
- Reports from Yahoo Sports, citing TeamTalk, say Everton are tracking 23-year-old England U21 midfielder Hayden Hackney after a strong start to the season.
- Hackney has started all 21 league matches for Middlesbrough with three goals and six assists, standing out for his ability to play as a six, eight or ten.
- A January deal is described as difficult because Middlesbrough are in the automatic promotion places and the player is under contract until 2027.
- Everton’s interest is driven by a thinned midfield, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall nursing a hamstring issue, Merlin Rohl out after hernia surgery, and Idrissa Gana Gueye plus Iliman Ndiaye away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
- Club sources expressed confidence about securing a James Garner contract extension, while separate reports note Hackney is switching agents in January, a detail Everton are monitoring rather than acting on.