Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden is expected to leave St James’ Park in the January window, according to Darren Witcoop.
The newspaper journalist wrote on X that there is “strong interest” in the 29-year-old Magpies midfielder, who impressed heavily at Queens Park Rangers on loan last season.
Hayden, who is on £22k-per-week wages, is one of the senior players at the club. He joined Newcastle from Arsenal in the summer of 2016 and has made over 170 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions to date.
In between, he spent loan spells at Norwich City, Standard Liege and QPR, but it appears that he will leave the club this month.
He has a contract at SJP until 2026, which means the Magpies can afford to send him out on loan again if they fail to reach a permanent agreement with any interested parties.
The defensive midfielder has not played a single game for Newcastle this season. He is not in Eddie Howe’s plans, and it makes a lot of sense to offload him permanently.
Newcastle United need to sell players
The Magpies are flying high at the moment after picking up six wins in a row, including five at a stretch in the Premier League.
Only a month ago, they were languishing in the mid-table, and now they have jumped to fifth in the table and are determined to secure the top four position.
Howe desperately needs help to bolster the squad, but Newcastle cannot overspend due to financial regulations.
Isaac Hayden expected to move on from Newcastle this month. Strong interest in the midfielder who impressed on loan with QPR last season. #NUFC #NewcastleUnited
— Darren Witcoop (@DarrenOWitcoop) January 5, 2025
In such a scenario, the Magpies need to sell some of their players to free up wages and space for any potential new signing.
Newcastle are keen to sign a new right-winger, and they are heavily linked with a move for players like Bryan Mbeumo and Antoine Semenyo this month.
It is unclear where Hayden will join next, but what is becoming apparently clear is that his future lies away from Newcastle.
