Newcastle United hold talks to sell £50,000 per week midfielder as star prepares to say goodbye
Newcastle United are in talks with Championship outfit Portsmouth to offload £50,000 per week midfielder Isaac Hayden.
The former Arsenal man still has two years left on his Newcastle contract with the 29-year-old unable to find a new club in the summer. But Pompey, where former team-mate Matt Ritchie is plying his trade, could be an alternative for him.
Discussions with the south coast side are under way and Hayden could end his nine-year stay at St James' Park. Eddie Howe made it clear to Hayden in 2021 that he was not part of his long-term plans.
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Hayden was handed a six-year contract by Newcastle in the summer of 2020 but was sent out on loan to Championship side Norwich. Since then the ex-England Under-21 man has had stints in Belgium with Standard Liege and at Queens Park Rangers last season.
However, he could not nail down a permanent move and volunteered to train and play for Newcastle reserves this season. The consummate professional has been getting on with life in the reserves and made his playing comeback for the black and whites in the National League Cup against Halifax Town.
Indeed, while the Magpies were playing in front of a crowd of over 51,000 at St James' Park against AFC Wimbledon, Hayden was in action 117 miles away in front of a crowd of just 292 fans. Hayden played an hour at the Shay and helped Newcastle to a 2-1 victory to kick off their National League Cup campaign in a winning manner.
The former Arsenal midfielder has not featured for Newcastle's first team since 2021 during a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City early in Howe's stint in charge as boss.
But the midfielder, signed by Rafa Benitez in 2016, has always maintained a good rapport with Howe. He said in a previous interview: "The manager (Eddie Howe) is really, really good there.
"He has called me probably every couple of weeks, just to see how I am and how I’m getting on. He talks about the lads back there and how they’re getting on too.
"A lot of people probably think I might not like the staff that came in because I didn’t play as much as I would’ve wished. But I have nothing but great things to say about Eddie Howe as a person. He’s a top-level coach; probably the best I’ve had in terms of man-management."
