Everton must exercise caution with Hayden Hackney transfer as required expenditure raises alarm

Everton are believed to be in pole position to sign Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough this summer.

And on the face of it, it seems like a fairly sensible transfer to pursue, given their need for another central midfielder.

Idrissa Gueye is far from his best nowadays, while James Garner is arguably the only other midfielder at the required level for a side looking to qualify for Europe.

Hackney was almost certainly the best midfielder in the Championship last season, hence the interest from several Premier League clubs.

Everton are leading the race for Hackney, though there are still questions to be asked over their potential move.

How much would Hayden Hackney cost?

It was claimed that the Toffees were looking to bring Hackney in for a fee in the region of £10million, which would have been excellent business.

However, recent reports state that it is likely to cost at least double that to prise him away from Riverside, which would be a fee that would come with a risk for Everton.

It would make him one of their most expensive signings in the last four years, with Tyler Dibling also among that list.

His time with the Toffees has been miserable to say the least, and it certainly begs the question as to whether Everton want to take the risk with another unproven player for a relatively large price.

Hackney's stats showcase what he may bring to Everton

No matter how you shape it, a move for a Championship midfielder with no experience at the highest level is a massive risk.

And even more so for Everton, who simply have to show signs of progression next season.

With that said, it's clear why they have an interest in the Boro man, given the fact that he has 12 goal involvements from midfield last season

No midfielder in the Championship created more chances than Hackney, who also missed eight games due to injury.

If he were to replicate his form from the second tier in the Premier League, then Everton would be getting another central creative force.

But whether he can achieve that will remain unknown until we see it.