Everton have emerged as surprise favourites to land one of England’s hottest midfielders | OneFootball

Everton are leading the race to sign Middlesbrough captain Hayden Hackney, dealing a significant transfer blow to several Premier League giants tracking the highly-rated midfielder.

According to reports from The Athletic, Goodison Park has emerged as the 23-year-old’s personal preference, making a move to the Toffees his most likely destination this summer.

Hackney’s impending exit comes after Boro narrowly missed out on promotion to the top flight, forcing the Championship side to consider cashing in on their star asset.

Everton set to beat Tottenham and Man United to sign Hayden Hackney

The battle for Hackney’s signature has intensified, with a host of top-flight clubs circling the England Under-21 international.

As per the report, alongside Everton, the likes of Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, and Manchester United are all interested in signing the midfielder.

For United, the search for a new central anchor is well underway following the departure of Casemiro.

While Hackney is firmly on the radar at Old Trafford, the report suggest he sits slightly lower down their current shortlist.

Tottenham have also monitored his progress closely as they look to injection youthful dynamism into their midfield under Roberto De Zerbi.

However, Everton appear to have stolen a march on their rivals. Middlesbrough are holding out for a hefty £30 million fee, hoping that the widespread Premier League interest will spark a lucrative bidding war to maximise their profit.

Hayden played a massive part in Middlesbrough’s road to final playoffs

Losing Hackney will be a bitter pill for Middlesbrough to swallow, given his monumental impact over the past season.

The deep-lying playmaker served as the undisputed heartbeat of the team, playing a massive part in Middlesbrough’s dramatic road to the Championship playoff final at Wembley.

His exceptional form did not go unnoticed; Hackney was officially crowned the Championship Player of the Season after racking up five goals and seven assists in 39 appearances.

Though an untimely injury forced him to miss both legs of the semi-finals, he bravely returned as a late substitute in the final against Hull City.

Following Boro’s agonising 1-0 defeat, Hackney now looks destined for the Premier League, with Everton primed to secure his services.