Everton want ex-Chelsea star to join alongside Hackney as double exit looms – multiple sources

Everton are pushing to sign Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney, but they could bring in a second new midfielder this summer, with former Chelsea man Cesare Casadei reportedly on their radar.

The Toffees are leading the race to sign Boro’s standout star Hackney, with the Championship Player of the Season keen on a move to Hill Dickinson Stadium, as we confirmed on Tuesday.

We understand that an initial fee of £20million could be required to lure Hackney from Boro, with the total package, including add-ons, potentially amounting to £25million. But Everton won’t stop there.

According to Italian outlet Tuttosport, Everton are also keen on signing Casadei, who impressed for Torino this term following his €13million (£11.2m / $15.1m) switch from Chelsea last summer.

The 23-year-old, a versatile, box-to-box midfielder, notched six goals in 33 Serie A matches for Torino, with 19 of those appearances being starts.

The report claims that Everton, along with Brighton, are ‘closely monitoring’ Casadei with a view to a potential summer move – though it’s stated that Torino would be reluctant to let him go.

‘Particularly significant offers’ are reportedly required to convince Torino to sell Casadei, so it’s logical to assume Everton would need to pay far higher than the £11.2million the Italian club paid to sign him a year ago.

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Double Everton exit on the cards

Everton’s pursuit of multiple midfielders raises questions about the futures of some key members of David Moyes’ squad.

James Garner has recently signed a contract extension and is going nowhere. Merlin Rohl is set to join permanently, as the Toffees’ avoidance of relegation triggered a £17million obligation to buy clause in his loan from Freiburg.

18-year-old Harrison Armstrong remains very highly rated at Everton, though another loan move for him next season is a possibility.

However, Idrissa Gana Gueye could potentially be leaving the Toffees, with his contract expiring this summer. It remains to be seen whether an agreement over an extension can be reached with the 36-year-old.

Tim Iroegbunam, meanwhile, was the subject of offers in the January transfer window and if Everton bring in adequate reinforcements, could allow him to leave for the right price.

Hackney has the potential to be an exciting addition for Everton, having garnered a reputation as one of the most promising talents in the Championship.

Casadei, meanwhile, was always highly-rated at Chelsea but never got consistent chances to prove himself in the Premier League.

A move to Everton would give the Italian an opportunity to do just that.

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