Tottenham Hotspur’s pursuit of Hayden Hackney has generated plenty of debate among supporters, especially since Everton took pole position.Tottenham’s interest in Hayden Hackney dates back to last summer, when Spurs Web reported on Spurs’ desire to sign the Middlesbrough midfielder.The Championship side, however, was reluctant to let him leave as they pushed for promotion to the Premier League. They mounted a strong challenge and reached the play-offs, only to lose to Hull City.With Premier League football once again out of reach for Middlesbrough, they now look set to lose Hackney. Tottenham were said to be back in the race for Hackney but face stiff competition from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Crystal Palace.However, the latest reports say that Everton are leading the race and Hackney prefers the Toffees over other potential suitors like Tottenham.Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesHow Tottenham fans reacted to initial Hayden Hackney linksSpurs fans who have caught wind of the latest reports have shared their reactions, with opinions split on whether Hackney is the signing the club needs as it embarks on its summer rebuild.Reacting to the links, one fan said: “We went from UCL players to looking at Championship players”, while another added: “This has Lange written all over it, for f**ks sake sack him.”A third commented: “Really like him but we need some serious experience in that midfield man.” Another supporter backed the move, saying: “Buy him now & loan out to a PL club next season – gives us a year to figure out who can step up to the first 16; Sarr, Bentancur, Gray & Bergvall. Gray, Bergvall & Hackney in a couple seasons could be great depth once they’ve developed further.”Meanwhile, another fan wondered: “We are never becoming a serious institution are we”, while one supporter argued the gamble would be worthwhile: “We lost out on Wharton by not getting him prior to Palace. I would take the risk on Hackney.” Another added: “Come on. We have Gray and Bergvall as young midfielders. Why another risky young signing when we have finished 17th twice? This would be a club signing not a De Zerbi signing.” A final supporter concluded: “100% yes btw perfect signing imo get another with him and it’s lush.”How Spurs fans reacted to Everton leading the Hackney raceSince reports emerged of Everton boosting into pole position for Hayden Hackney this summer, the reactions have been mixed once again. While some are bitterly disappointed to see Tottenham pushed aside by the Toffees, others are worried that Hackney could be ‘another Tyler Dibling’.One Spurs fan said: ‘Less pull than Everton. Thomas Frank, what have you done to my club?”A second stated: “Kinda glad.. we need a world class midfield and I can imagine signing him means we then don’t. Unfortunately, the club isn’t in the position to mess around.”“I rate him, and I’m fine with us not signing the lad. There’s better out there, which we should be targeting in the first place, and I can’t fault him for preferring Everton. They just had a better season than us.”One Tottenham fan was left confused. “This fanbase baffles me every transfer window. We could be signing Vinicius Jr and you’d still find people whining about it. Or you just have people who thinks that we’re that attractive of a club capable of luring and signing three 80mil+ calibre of players.”Others would be happy to see Spurs move on from Hackney: “He is not better than Pape Sarr lol.”“Good news… Get Alex Scott. A far superior player.”“I would rather Lamine Camara , Hackney is nothing special.”Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney's preference is to join Everton, who currently lead the race. Tottenham are high among the contenders [@David_Ornstein] pic.twitter.com/CNHzJXsvoa— The Spurs Web (@thespursweb) June 2, 2026 Spurs need Hayden Hackney for midfield depthSpurs do need depth in the holding midfield position ahead of next season. Archie Gray is versatile enough to feature there, but it remains unclear whether Roberto De Zerbi trusts him enough to deploy him in that role regularly.Lucas Bergvall is another option, but his versatility means he can be used in several different positions across the pitch.Joao Palhinha, whom De Zerbi relied on heavily in the holding role, is still in limbo between Spurs and Sporting Lisbon, depending on whether the Lilywhites can agree a discount with Bayern.Meanwhile, Spurs are expected to lose further depth with Yves Bissouma set to depart when his contract expires this summer. All of that has fuelled interest in Hackney, who is expected to be available for around £25m this transfer window.READ MORE: Alfie Devine looks set for Tottenham exit: 8 clubs want to sign Spurs record breaker this summerThe post ‘This fanbase baffles me’ – Tottenham supporters react to Hayden Hackney transfer blow appeared first on Spurs Web.