The 24-year-old has 12 months left on his Middlesbrough contract George Wood/Getty ImagesJune 29, 2026 10:37 am EDT Updated Everton are closing in on a deal for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.The 24-year-old has 12 months left on his contract. There has been an expectation on Teeside that Hackney would depart this summer and that his contractual situation means he should represent good value for money for buying clubs.The Athletic reported on June 5 that Hackney’s preference was Everton and that the club had been in talks with Middlesbrough over a potential move. Discussions have now advanced, with the sides close to an agreement and hope that a deal will be finalised this week.That would avoid a situation where Hackney potentially has to return to pre-season training with Middlesbrough on Thursday. After returning to Rockliffe Park, Middlesbrough will then head to the Algarve in Portugal on Sunday for a warm-weather training camp.The midfielder has also been subject to interest from Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Crystal Palace, after a strong season for Championship side.Hackney scored six goals and provided eight assists for Middlesbrough over the 2025-26 campaign, winning the league’s player of the season award in his fourth full season with the first team as they qualified for the play-offs in fifth.Middlesbrough were beaten by Southampton in the play-off semi final but progressed to the final after the English Football League expelled Southampton after admitting to spying on other clubs. Hull City beat Kim Hellberg’s side 1-0 at Wembley in the final to leave them in the second tier.Hackney made his senior debut in January 2021 before going on loan to Scunthorpe United, then in League Two. The academy graduate became a fixture of the starting line-up on his return under now-Manchester United coach Michael Carrick in the following 2022-23 season.Having made two appearances for Scotland’s under-21 side, the midfielder has since won the 2025 Under-21 European Championship with England, providing one assist in four games.Jun 29, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms