How Hayden Hackney has already performed against Premier League clubs as Everton move nears

Hayden Hackney's move to Everton may come with some concern that he's not ready for the Premier League yet.

The Toffees are closing in on their first signing of the summer after agreeing a £25million package deal with Middlesbrough for their midfielder.

An initial fee of £16.5m will be sent to the Teessiders for their homegrown talent, with around £4m in appearance-related add-ons and another £3m for Champions League qualification and England caps.

Hackney was sought after by David Moyes, as the Blues boss outlined that he was one of his top targets early on this summer.

The Championship Player of the Season winner is coming to Hill Dickinson off the back of a fruitful campaign with Boro, but has never played at the heights of the promised land.

However, Everton will be intrigued to see how Hackney has previously fared when playing against Premier League opposition in the past from previous cup game fixtures.

Hayden Hackney loves a game against a Premier League side

Hackney's move to Everton could be confirmed this week, with the midfielder set to leave Boro before their pre-season starts up again on Thursday.

The 24-year-old is due a medical, which may be an anxious wait after his previous long lay-off due to a calf injury.

Some Evertonians will have never seen Hackney play, and may have doubts about him stepping up to the Premier League after similar signings in the past.

However, the Englishman has had his fair share of games against Premier League opposition in the past when playing in cup games for Boro.

Hackney first made an appearance against a Premier League side during Middlesbrough's 5-1 defeat to Brighton in the FA Cup in 2023, playing 59 minutes and being subbed off.

He then had another shot against a top-tier side a year later when Boro were beaten 1-0 again in the third round of the FA Cup, this time by Unai Emery's Aston Villa.

However, he then scored a winning goal in Middlesbrough's first leg in their Carabao Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea, which came three days after the loss to Villa, on 9 January, 2024.

He also picked up an assist for Morgan Rogers in the second leg, but the Teessiders were knocked out of the competition after a 6-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

The former England U21 international put his side 1-0 ahead against Fulham earlier this year in the third round of the FA Cup, but Boro were unable to hold out and lost 3-1.

Hackney has an attacking return rate of 60 per cent in the five matches he's played against sides that were all Premier League clubs at the time of the respective clashes.

What could happen next for Idrissa Gueye after Hackney agreement

Everton are set for a new round of talks with Idrissa Gana Gueye once he returns to Merseyside.

The veteran midfielder was with Senegal at this year's World Cup, though his nation were sent crashing out of the competition after failing to reach the knockout stages.

Everton will need to strike an agreement with Gueye, who will most likely have to accept playing less football next season due to Hackney's arrival.

If the two parties cannot find a suitable deal for each other, then he will move on to a new challenge.