Newcastle United have had an approach from Aston Villa to sign their midfielder Isaac Hayden on loan, according to Sky Sports.
The sports broadcaster reports on their website that the Championship side are looking to bring midfield reinforcements in before the transfer window slams shut on January 31, and have launched a move to sign Hayden, who has been a regular starter for the Magpies in recent weeks, on a temporary basis.
The report adds that Rafa Benitez is not keen on the £22,000-a-week [Spotrac] player – who handed in a transfer request in the summer – leaving unless a suitable replacement is found imminently.
OPINION
It is clear that Hayden is pretty eager to leave the club in order to be closer to his daughter in South Wales – so moving to Aston Villa would not be a bad shout. He may have got more first team opportunities recently – due to a number of midfield absentees – but that is not going to stop him from wanting to depart the club. Benitez previously said that he would not let Hayden leave if they could not find someone else to replace him, however, with Benfica midfielder Andreas Samaris in Newcastle’s sights, Hayden may finally get his wish. It may be a step down for him, but it is safe to say that it will not matter to him in the slighest. Dean Smith is slowly building a good team at Villa, so Hayden must be excited that he could potentially be a part of that. Who knows how this one will develop, but one thing is for sure – Hayden will be keeping a close eye on the club’s dealings.
