Everton Close to Signing Middlesbrough Midfielder Hayden Hackney

Everton are moving closer to signing Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney in a £25m deal. 

The Toffees have been pushing to sign Hackney in the summer transfer window, seeing bids rejected for the English star. 

Hackney appeared to be Everton's number one target for the midfield position, with there being uncertainty surrounding their current midfield options.

Idrissa Gueye is currently out of contract at the end of this month,  while Tim Iroegbunam has also been linked with a departure, with Hull City showing an interest.

After Everton's interest was confirmed, we created an analysis piece on the Middlesbrough midfielder, as seen below.

According to a report from John Percy of the Telegraph, Everton are closing in on the £25m deal to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hackney in the summer transfer window. 

A deal is expected to be finalised this week after Middlesbrough had initially rejected at least three offers for their captain. Negotiations between the two clubs are now reaching a conclusion, with Everton set to pay a total of £25m.

Hackney has just one year remaining on his contract with Middlesbrough, but the North East club have remained firm in trying to ensure they receive as high a fee as possible.

Hackney was also attracting interest from Crystal Palace, but Everton are now hopeful of reaching an agreement before Middlesbrough return to pre-season training later this week. 

The Toffees will be delighted to get their first signing of the summer transfer window over the line. It was always positive knowing Hackney was keen on a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It's unclear how Everton's midfield is going to look after the signing of Hackney, if a deal is confirmed. The future of Gueye and Iroegbunam remains uncertain, particularly the former, with his contract expiring in the coming days.

Everton also have other midfield targets at the moment. According to reports, the Toffees have been linked with a move to sign Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye, with the Senegalese international keen on a move to the Premier League. 

Sky Sports have also claimed that Everton are interested in signing Parma midfielder Mandela Keita, a 24-year-old Belgian international. 

It looks as though there could be a huge reshuffle in the middle of the park for Everton, especially if both Gueye and Iroegbunam leave the club. 

It will be interesting to see where Everton switch their attention now, particularly with them needing reinforcements in other areas of the pitch.