Everton are targeting Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney and want to make the Championship Player of the Season their first summer signing.
Hackney was a driving force behind Middlesbrough’s quest for promotion, which ended with the 1-0 defeat by Hull City in last month’s play-off final. He was unable to start at Wembley, having missed the run-in through injury.
The 23-year-old, who has 12 months left on his contract, has attracted the attention of several Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Brighton and Hove Albion, and he will probably command a fee of about £10m.
Though Everton have not yet contacted Middlesbrough, their interest is strong and Hackney, who can play in attacking and defensive roles, is the kind of player with whom manager David Moyes would relish working.
Moyes has a history of taking young talent from the Championship and helping them develop. He has been following Hackney’s progress for 12 months and he will probably press ahead with bringing him to Everton, where he will have the prospect of regular game time.
This will be a big window for Everton, having spurned a glorious chance to qualify for Europe in the final weeks of the season. Costly mistakes against Liverpool, Manchester City and West Ham United led to a finishing position of 13th.
Moyes is hungry to build a team that Evertonians can be proud of and wants the forthcoming window to be one where the Friedkin Group, the club’s owners, really leave a mark.
“As a football club we need to show ambition,” Moyes said recently. “I want the ownership to come out and show that. To show that, ‘Hey, we’re here, we’re going again, we’re supporting’. I hope we can add to what we have got and excite the supporters. They have had too many dark days.
“We have to keep progressing and not thinking that we have done enough because we are not in relegation trouble. We are not a club to go and spend £200-300m; we don’t have that. We will need to dodge and weave a bit and hopefully make the right choices.”