With Newcastle looking to bring in new players in the January transfer window, players will need to be sold to free up spaces in the 25-man squad. It is clear that Jeff Hendrick doesn’t seem to be in the plans of boss Eddie Howe.
Where’s Jeff?
Since getting the Magpies job back in November, Hendrick has yet to register a single minute for Howe. The Ireland international appears to be right at the bottom of the pecking order. Since Howe’s arrival Shelvey, Willock, Hayden and even Sean Longstaff are playing ahead of him.
For Hendrick, both of his appearances were under Steve Bruce, who signed him as a free agent back in the summer of 2020. Neither interim manager Graeme Jones nor current boss Eddie Howe has given him a minute.
Hendrick leaving would free up the wage bill and a squad place
The 40k-a-week man (Spotrac) is one of the top earners for the Toon Army. However, this season Hendrick has only featured twice, once against Manchester United as a substitute and the other against Wolves also as a sub. While he did net against Wolves at Molineux it still wasn’t a standout performance.
Howe may still be getting to grips with his side but the lack of minutes for Hendrick is a big concern. Newcastle has been linked with a few names leading into January, some of which are midfielders like Jesse Lingard.
Overall, it would benefit both parties, Hendrick could get more minutes elsewhere and Howe can open up a space in his 25-man squad. It’s essential that Newcastle do some business in January if they are to avoid the drop.
The end to a miserable time on Tyneside?
Nearly 18 months after signing for the Toon Army, to put it simply, Hendrick has failed to impress. Having said that, his debut looked very promising, assisting and scoring against West Ham. Since then he’s struggled to pull out any inspiring performances in black and white.
Whether it was on the right-wing or usually in centre-midfield, Hendrick looked slow and off the pace. His only other contribution of note was a goal against Leeds but Newcastle still went on to lose 5-2. As last season progressed, the Ireland international’s minutes diminished.
We can assume it’s clear that Jeff Hendrick’s time at Newcastle is almost over. Eddie Howe doesn’t appear to have him in any future plans with other midfielders getting minutes over him. With that, hefty wages and free squad spaces needed for January, Hendrick’s Newcastle career is near its end.
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