The deal bringing Hayden Hackney to Everton is unlikely to be the last piece of business for a midfield in flux this summer.
The Blues launched a pursuit of the central midfielder in May and, after weeks of negotiations, have now secured the arrival of the Championship player of the year, who has joined from Middlesbrough for an initial £16.5m.
It is a move that is likely to act as a catalyst for further change in an area manager David Moyes entered the summer seeking to enhance with the hope of creating greater competition for places.
Hackney is in fact the second signing of Everton’s summer, given Merlin Rohl’s loan move from Freiburg was made permanent when the club avoided relegation. The German youth international, who finished the season in the first XI, will cost the Blues around £18m.
The pair are now part of a crowded central midfield that also boasts the likes of James Garner, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong, while Carlos Alcaraz has also played in the middle under Moyes.
Idrissa Gueye is no longer an Everton player after his contract expired earlier this week. The club was in contact with representatives of the 36-year-old following the end of the season and attention can now turn to confirming a resolution of his situation after Senegal’s defeat to Belgium in the last 32 of the World Cup on Wednesday night.
Gueye was integral to the run to the knockout stages but will turn 37 in the opening weeks of next season and, with that in mind, the club has a view towards reducing their reliance on the veteran even if a new deal was to be struck.
Hackney may not be the only new face in the midfield department, with the club open to signing a defensive midfielder should one become available on terms they are content with. Mandela Keita, who plies his trade with Parma in Serie A, is one option in this area the club has monitored. The 24-year-old played 37 times in the league last season and, while not called up to the World Cup squad, has made a senior appearance for Belgium.
The arrival of Hackney - and the willingness to further explore the midfield market - is likely to lead to greater scrutiny on his new teammates. Garner and Dewsbury-Hall became integral to Moyes last season and, with the manager typically opting to play three in the middle, albeit with Dewsbury-Hall in an advanced role, Everton do require numbers in that position.
But while Gueye’s future is uncertain, there is also intrigue surrounding the roles of Carlos Alcaraz and Tim Iroegbunam. Alcaraz was used sparingly by Moyes when fit last season, though he did suffer an injury that coincided with Dewsbury-Hall’s hamstring problem - a time when Alcaraz would likely have been given his opportunity.
Iroegbunam enjoyed a positive year and became Moyes’ ‘go-to’ back-up in the middle. The 23-year-old enhanced his reputation significantly, producing his best performance in the turbulent home draw with Manchester City. He was named man of the match in that game, with Everton conceding an equaliser in stoppage time only after he had left the pitch with cramp.
There has been interest in Iroegbunam already, with Ipswich Town having tracked him before the end of last season and Hull City also considering him as they too look to build towards a return to the top flight. Everton rebuffed interest from Lazio in January but serious interest this summer could well be considered. Both Alcaraz and Iroegbunam have entered the final year of their current deals, meaning their futures will naturally come under scrutiny.
Moyes’ plan for Armstrong is also unclear. The manager is a fan of the teenager, to whom he gave a flurry of starts after recalling him from his loan spell with Preston in January. But his opportunities diminished in the closing weeks of the campaign and it remains to be seen whether the club would consider another loan placement for the England youth international.
Armstrong has long been the subject of interest in England and abroad, particularly in Germany, and would have no shortage of suitors if he were to be made available.
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