Middlesbrough facing new Everton transfer threat | OneFootball

Everton have been in pursuit of Hayden Hackney all summer but one player that could have made the opposite journey may not be going to the Riverside.

Everton's pursuit of Hayden Hackney has become one of the Championship's transfer sagas of the summer, but one player who could have been making the opposite journey doesn't seem likely to end up at The Riverside Stadium.

Of all the transfer stories circulating in the Championship, few have been longer-running than that of Hayden Hackney. The highly-rated midfielder has been linked to a move away from the Riverside Stadium for more than a year, and Middlesbrough's failure to reach the Premier League at the end of 2025-26 has only intensified talk that he could be set to leave the club.

The club most associated with the next step in Hackney's career development has been Everton, but the pathway to finding an agreement between the two clubs has not been straightforward, and fresh reporting has now confirmed that one potential 'makeweight' signing who could have helped to facilitate the transfer might have his heart set on going elsewhere.

Potential Hayden Hackney replacement now looking at loan move abroad

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There have been reports in the media that Middlesbrough and Everton are a long way apart in terms of their valuations of Hayden Hackney, with TeamTALK having reported that there is a £10 million gap in the valuations of the two clubs for the player.

Everton have offered a package worth up to £15 million for Hackney, but Middlesbrough are holding out for £25 million, even though the player only has a year to run on his contract.

This may have been considered an insurmountable gap to bridge, but one potential way of closing it could be a player swap. Middlesbrough are reportedly interested in the Everton youngster Harrison Armstrong, who was on loan in the Championship with Preston North End in 2025-26, and adding him to the mix in the Hackney transfer could help to push that move forward.

But fresh reporting from journalist Alan Nixon has suggested that this may not be possible. He reported to his Patreon on Sunday morning that Armstrong may want the next step in his professional development to come abroad, and that "his camp are looking into possible homes in France and Germany to develop his game."

Nixon confirms that Middlesbrough wouldn't be the only Championship club interested in signing Armstrong, with a "queue" of clubs in the division interested in him, but Boro were his most likely next destination in the division because of his potential role in any Hackney move.

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Harrison Armstrong has impressed in the Championship on his two previous loan spells there, so it's unsurprising that Middlesbrough have identified him as a potential replacement in the event that Hayden Hackney makes the opposite move to Everton this summer.

Armstrong's two previous loan spells in the division with Derby County and Preston North End both enhanced the reputation of the 19-year-old midfielder, who's also been recognised at international level at both under-18 and under-19 levels. He's also made 16 appearances in the Premier League for Everton over the last two seasons.

But returning to the Championship for a third time isn't the only option for Armstrong in terms of the next stage of his professional development, and it's likely that there would also be a queue of continental clubs who would be happy to take on such a highly-rated young player.

Middlesbrough and Everton in terms of the Hayden Hackney transfer saga. Armstrong could have been a useful bridge between the two different valuations of Hackney, who only has a year left to run on his contract at The Riverside Stadium. If Armstrong is to continue the next step of his development abroad, Boro and Everton will have to seek to close that gap another way round.