Everton Sign Championship Star Hayden Hackney as Spurs Make Record Move for Fernandes
Everton and Tottenham moved aggressively in the market on the same day, one club gambling on Championship pedigree, the other paying elite money for a ready-made Premier League midfielder.
Transfer Fee: Hayden Hackney - Up to £25m
Hackney picks Everton after drawn-out chase
Everton have completed the signing of Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough in a deal that could rise to £25m, ending weeks of tense negotiations and repeated bids.
The 24-year-old, named Championship player of the year last season, has signed a five-year contract on Merseyside. Everton will pay an initial £16.5m, with add-ons potentially taking the total to £25m, including clauses linked to Hackney representing England.
Middlesbrough held firm throughout the talks. With only 12 months left on his contract, Hackney attracted several offers from Everton, all initially below Boro’s valuation. Interest from Crystal Palace strengthened the Championship club’s hand, but not Hackney’s resolve. He wanted Everton. He waited for Everton.
“As soon as I spoke to the manager, as soon as I knew Everton were interested, it was always going to be Everton,” he said after the move was confirmed. “It’s such a big club, with the new stadium and the direction it’s going in. I just wanted to be part of that.”
The midfielder’s decision was heavily influenced by David Moyes’s track record of turning Championship standouts into Premier League regulars.
“The manager’s track record of bringing players from the Championship to the Premier League was a massive part of my decision as well,” Hackney added. “Hopefully I can be the next one to do it successfully for Everton.”
He did not undersell his own game either. “I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively. I think I can carry the ball well, arrive late in the box, and hopefully score some goals. I think there’s plenty more to come from me. Obviously, I haven’t played in the Premier League yet, so once I get used to that I think I can kick on from there.”
Moyes wanted him earlier. The Everton manager tried to bring Hackney in last summer before switching focus to other areas of the squad, but the admiration never faded. Hackney’s role in England’s European Under-21 Championship triumph in 2025 only underlined his rise.
“Hayden is a promising young player who we’ve been tracking for some time, and I’m looking forward to working with him,” Moyes said. “We’ve had a track record over the years of identifying players in the Championship who have gone on to do really well for us and been good investments. We hope that will be the case with Hayden, too.
“He’s an England Under-21 international who will provide greater competition in midfield, which is something I wanted going into the new season.”
Everton, who are also close to signing winger Tyrique George from Chelsea, now have another energetic option in the middle of the pitch as they try to reshape a squad that has flirted with trouble too often in recent seasons. Hackney arrives as a player on the brink of the top level, with a manager who believes he can bridge that gap quickly.
Transfer Fee: Mateus Fernandes - £85m
Spurs go big: Fernandes arrives for £85m
If Everton’s move is a calculated step, Tottenham’s is a full-blooded leap.
Spurs have completed the signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham in a deal worth £85m, a club-record fee for the north London side. It is a huge price for a 21-year-old, but one that fits the scale of Roberto De Zerbi’s ambition.
The Portugal international came through at Sporting, spent the 2024-25 season at Southampton, then joined West Ham in August last year. In a short space of time, he has gone from promising youngster to one of the most coveted midfielders in the division.
De Zerbi has followed his progress closely.
“I’ve admired Mateus for a long time because he combines quality on the ball with the intensity and intelligence that are so important in the way we want to play,” the Spurs head coach said. “Despite his age, he already has good experience in the Premier League and has shown quality and consistency at this level.”
That blend of technique and relentlessness is exactly what De Zerbi demands from his midfield. Fernandes believes he has walked into the right dressing room at the right time.
“I’m very excited for this next step. Spurs is a massive club and the head coach was a key part of why I have decided to join,” he said. “When we spoke it was very special. We look at football in the same way – going on to the pitch as a strong team, with fight and energy, to try and win every game. I can’t wait to get started, to meet the fans, to meet everyone, and give everything for the club.”
De Zerbi sees more than just a ball-progressor.
“Mateus is comfortable under pressure, can progress the ball, works hard for the team and has the courage to make things happen in difficult moments,” he added. “I believe this is the ideal environment for him to continue his development and I’m excited to start working with him.”
An £85m fee brings expectation and scrutiny. For Spurs, it also signals a clear intent to build a side shaped fully in De Zerbi’s image, with a midfield capable of dictating games at the highest level.
Everton back a Championship star to grow into the Premier League. Tottenham pay elite money for a midfielder they believe can drive them there now. When the season starts, both clubs will discover whether their bold moves have changed their trajectory or simply raised the stakes.
