Everton in talks to sign instant Hackney upgrade

After plenty of speculation, Everton have finally won their desired man in Hayden Hackney.

Joining for a fee around the £16.5m mark, this is the Premier League side’s latest venture into the EFL market, having previously explored these waters when snapping up James Garner in the midfield ranks, after he impressed in the Championship with Nottingham Forest.

The Merseyside giants are unlikely to be done here when it comes to notable summer buys, with David Moyes‘ men linked to a wide array of possible signings, which could see another midfielder join…

Everton in the hunt for another midfield signing

Everton are considering moves for players all over the pitch, with the latest rumours suggesting they could swoop in for Leeds United’s Karl Darlow, in order to win a competent back-up to England number one, and the Toffees’ main stopper, Jordan Pickford.

Alongside bolstering their options in-between the sticks, Everton is also exploring the possibility of snapping up El Bilal Touré to enhance their numbers down the wings, with the Beskitas attacker being looked at by Fulham, Aston Villa, and Newcastle, alongside Moyes’ men.

To partner Bilal Toure in midfield, potentially, Everton could also look to snap up Mandela Keita, with Sport Parma reporting – as has been relayed by Sport Witness – that the Toffees have been in contact with the Belgian battler.

Keita is waiting it out regarding his future, yet with his valuation coming in at the £22m mark, it remains to be seen whether the 24-year-old will leave Italy behind this off-season for Merseyside.

Landing Keita could be an even better signing than snapping up the ex-Middlesbrough captain, as Everton’s midfield ranks undergo a makeover, ahead of the new season kicking off.

Why Keita could be a better signing than Hackney

This isn’t to say Hackney won’t be a success at Everton.

Indeed, the 24-year-old has set the Championship alight for many seasons now, with 14 goals and 15 assists falling into his lap in the taxing environment of the second tier.

He should be able to make the transition from the EFL’s elite league, to the promised land of the top-flight, look comfortable, but there will be a worry lingering that he’s never tasted Premier League action before.

On the contrary, Keita has been a success in various demanding leagues across his nomadic career to date, with the 24-year-old starring for the likes of Oud-Heverlee Leuven in the Jupiler Pro League, and Parma in Serie A.

He will hope he can tick off England as the next destination he has conquered, if Everton progress further with a deal for the Belgian warrior, with Keita just fresh off an impressive campaign in Italy which saw him average a cool 88% pass accuracy.

To add context, Hackney would come away from his promotion-near-miss season with Boro with a slightly lesser 86% pass accuracy next to his name, with Moyes perhaps more at ease that Keita can make the step-up look a breeze,.

He has gone under the radar with his standout performances, with Hackney more in the limelight for his effortless showings in the EFL, as Everton potentially picks up a gem, with talent scout Jacek Kulig noting that the one-time Belgium international is an “underrated” talent.

He could soon become a widely recognised name at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, alongside Hackney, as Everton’s squad gets a necessary refresh, after the Merseyside titans slumped to an unsatisfactory 13th-place finish last season.

With Keita in through the door, the Toffees will hopefully propel up the congested league, with the Parma number 16 previously playing in the Champions League, while his possible soon-to-be teammate only really knows the Championship.