ISAAC HAYDEN is hoping to engineer a financial solution that will enable him to leave Newcastle United in January in an attempt to prolong his career.
Hayden has been training with Newcastle Under-21s since returning from a loan spell at QPR in the summer, with Eddie Howe adamant he will not be offering the 29-year-old a place in the Magpies’ Premier League squad.
Hayden’s last senior appearance for Newcastle came back in December 2021, when he started in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City, but he remains contracted to St James’ Park to the summer of 2026, having signed a six-year deal under Mike Ashley in 2020.
He could opt to sit out the next 18 months in the reserves on Tyneside, picking up a wage that is reported to be worth more than £1.5m-a-year, but a shift in his international fortunes is set to act as a catalyst for him to finally sever his ties with Newcastle.
Hayden has started playing with Jamaica under former Newcastle boss Steve McClaren, who has urged the midfielder to reach an agreement that would enable him to start playing regular football again in the second half of the season.
“(Isaac) realises that he’s in the reserves at Newcastle,” said McClaren, whose side are about to embark on the qualifying campaign for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America in the US, Mexico and Canada. “He needs a club in January. This is as much about the March (international) window, the summer window, and the next World Cup window as it is this window.
READ MORE:
- Callum Wilson's lifestyle changes that could decide his Newcastle United future
- Eddie Howe addresses the 'big Newcastle question' - as he admits concern
“Every player needs a cause. Every player needs motivation, and his motivation is to get back playing at the level he was three or four years ago. To be able to commit to Jamaica and, hopefully, to another club in January will only make him better.”
Hayden is known to interest a number of clubs in the Championship, with West Brom, Watford and QPR all having been linked with a potential January move for his services in the last few weeks.
However, none of those clubs would be able to pay his current Newcastle wages, either on a loan or permanent basis, so Hayden could opt to enter discussions with the Magpies hierarchy over a potential termination of his current deal.
Newcastle’s rulers would be willing to consider a financial agreement that would release Hayden from his current deal and enable him to move elsewhere as a free agent in January provided the terms proposed were deemed to be acceptable.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here