Everton considering transfer swoop for Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney - he's a "long-term target" | OneFootball

Everton have a 'long-term' interest in Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney as they look to add to their squad ahead of the deadline.

Everton have an interest in Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney as they look to strengthen David Moyes’ squad ahead of the deadline on September 1.

It has been a busy summer for the Toffees, with a high turnover of players following the Friedkin Group completing a takeover of the club.

However, the 1-0 loss to Leeds United on the opening day highlighted that Everton are short in several key areas, and Moyes has made it clear that he expects new recruits through the door.

Everton are keen on Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney

The Sky Sports Transfer Centre (14:08) confirmed that Everton are expecting to be active in the next 12 days, and their update said that Hackney is a player that has admirers on Merseyside.

They explain that the club have a ‘long-term’ interest in the England U21 international, although it remains to be seen whether a move is financially viable this summer, as it’s stated that the bulk of their budget is expected to be spent on a winger, with the other signings likely to be on loan.

Middlesbrough are looking for a fee in the region of £20m for Hackney, with the Teesside outfit having accepted a bid of that level from Ipswich earlier in the window, but the player turned down the chance to move to Portman Road back then.

Yet, FLW exclusively revealed that the Tractor Boys have resumed talks to bring in Hackney, as they look to convince him to join Kieran McKenna’s squad as the end of the transfer window nears.

Middlesbrough must prepare for life without Hayden Hackney sooner rather than later

There has been talk surrounding Hackney’s future for years now, so this is nothing new, but there is a very real possibility that he will leave before the deadline.

Clearly, that would be a massive loss to Boro, as you only have to see Hackney's performance at Millwall last time out, where he scored, to see how good the 23-year-old is at this level, but he would bring in a significant fee which could be used to enhance the squad as a whole.

So, Boro will be prepared for all scenarios this summer, and it’s crucial they are ready to move on targets if Hackney does leave, whether it’s to Ipswich, Everton or elsewhere.

From Everton’s perspective, the defeat at Elland Road showed how short they are on quality midfielders, and if Hackney did join, you would back him to force his way into Moyes’ plans pretty quickly.