Bryan Robson says Everton have struck gold with the signing of Hayden Hackney, and believes his former club Manchester United should have fought harder to sign the midfielder themselves.
Everton completed a deal worth an initial £16.5m for Hackney, rising to around £25m through add-ons, making the reigning Championship Player of the Season one of their priority signings this summer. Robson, who also played for and managed Middlesbrough, was in no doubt about the quality of the business.
“Hackney is a really good signing by Everton,” Robson told betting website Hajpur. “I think he’s been Middlesbrough’s best player. I’ve watched quite a bit of Boro and every time I watched them he was nearly always the best player on the park. Everton have done a good bit of business there. I think David Moyes and Everton have struck a really gold deal to get him.”
Robson was equally clear on where he thought United had gone wrong, pointing to Hackney’s existing relationship with current United boss Michael Carrick, who managed him at Middlesbrough.
“I think when you’ve got a player with that sort of ability available for £25m, maybe he could have done a really good job at United for that sort of money,” Robson said, adding that his attitude and ability would have made him a useful addition alongside signings like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
Hackney is yet to make his Everton debut, missing Saturday’s win over Dundee while he continues his integration into first-team training. It’s a strong endorsement before he’s even kicked a ball for the club.
