Everton Sign Hayden Hackney as Spurs Break Record for Mateus Fernandes
Everton have finally dragged Hayden Hackney out of Middlesbrough after weeks of haggling, while Tottenham have gone all in on Mateus Fernandes in an £85m statement that underlines their intent to reshape the heart of their midfield.
Two clubs, two very different cheques, one clear message: this summer belongs to central midfielders.
Hackney bets big on Everton project
For Everton, this has been a pursuit driven by stubbornness and conviction. Middlesbrough rejected several bids, clung to their £25m valuation and used interest from Crystal Palace to strengthen their hand, even with Hackney entering the final 12 months of his contract.
Everton refused to walk away. They will pay an initial £16.5m, with the deal potentially climbing to £25m if a series of add-ons are triggered, including the 24-year-old stepping up to senior England duty.
Hackney, last season’s Championship player of the year, has signed a five-year contract and made it clear his mind was made up early.
“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. A big club, a new stadium on the way, a manager with a reputation for turning Championship standouts into Premier League regulars – the pitch landed.
The former Middlesbrough captain arrives with pedigree. He was part of the England side that lifted the European Under-21 Championship in 2025 and has grown into a midfielder who can knit play, carry the ball and time his runs into the box.
“I think fans can expect a bit of everything from me – attacking and defensively,” he said. “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.”
Everton see exactly that upside. David Moyes, who wanted Hackney as early as last summer before focusing on other areas, has finally got his man.
“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, also closing in on winger Tyrique George from Chelsea, are quietly rebuilding the core of their side. Hackney is not the marquee name, but he is the type of signing that can shift the feel of a midfield – legs, bravery on the ball, and the hunger of a player stepping into the Premier League for the first time.
Spurs go all in on Mateus Fernandes
If Everton’s move is smart and strategic, Tottenham’s is loud.
Spurs have completed the signing of Mateus Fernandes from West Ham in a deal worth £85m, a club-record outlay on a 21-year-old who has already convinced two Premier League clubs and one of Europe’s most demanding head coaches that he belongs at the top level.
The Portugal international came through at Sporting, sharpened his game during a season at Southampton in 2024-25, then joined West Ham last August. One year on, he has vaulted across London to a club that expects to be chasing trophies, not just respectability.
Roberto De Zerbi has pushed hard for this. The Spurs head coach wants midfielders who can live on the ball, play through pressure and still run, press and bite when the game gets stretched.
“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,” De Zerbi said. “Despite his age, he already has good experience in the Premier League and has shown quality and consistency at this level.”
That blend is why Tottenham were prepared to go to a record fee. Fernandes is not just a deep-lying passer or a runner. He is expected to set the tempo and break lines, to be the player who wants the ball when others are hiding.
De Zerbi spelled it out. “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. I believe this is the ideal environment for him to continue his development and I’m excited to start working with him.”
For Fernandes, the pull of Spurs – and of De Zerbi specifically – proved decisive.
“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.”
This is not a quiet, developmental signing. An £85m midfielder arrives to start, to dictate, to change games.
Two clubs at different stages, two managers with very clear ideas of what a modern midfielder must be. Hackney, stepping into the Premier League for the first time, and Fernandes, already trusted at this level but now carrying the weight of a record fee.
The numbers are big. The expectations are bigger. Now the question is simple: who adapts faster to the pressure their new price tags bring?
