Club chief now admits that ‘inconsistent’ 28-year-old player is going to return to Newcastle soon

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As Newcastle United go in search of a midfielder, someone who plays in that position looks set to return to Tyneside.

The Magpies loaned out Isaac Hayden at the start of the season, with the 28-year-old signing for Standard Liege on loan for the duration of the 2023/24 campaign.

However, noises about his deal coming to a premature end started to circulate in late 2023, and it now looks like a return to England is imminent.

It has been reported that Preston North End are interested in the midfielder, while the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards has hinted that Hayden is going to sign for Premier League outfit Sheffield United.

His next destination remains unclear, but it looks all but certain that he is going to cut his loan spell with Standard Liege short.

Isaac Hayden ‘likely’ to leave Standard Liege soon

That is according to Standard Liege CEO Pierre Locht, who has spoke to Belgian outlet dhnet.be about Hayden departing the club in the near future.

“It’s likely that he won’t come back, yes,” he said.

“We wanted a player who brought an immediate superior quality to the team. Isaac had a lot of experience in the Premier League. He’s a true number six, capable of settling the game, a stable element.

“But, in the image of the team, he had some good games but was then too inconsistent.”

Newcastle midfielder struggling to get his career back on track

Based on Locht’s comments, it does not sound like Hayden’s time in Belgium has been very successful.

He has made 11 appearances in all competitions, but it does not look like he will be adding to that tally.

The Standard Liege chief’s comments allude to the fact that he is going to be leaving, while he was not massively complimentary about Hayden’s performances in Belgium.

Hopefully he can find some consistency at his next club, as Hayden is a player who has struggled for a few years now.

He was adored on Tyneside, but fell down the pecking order under Eddie Howe. He now has no future with Newcastle United, despite having a contract until 2026.

A couple of bad injuries have hindered him, and I’m sure every member of the Toon Army is eager for him to get back to his best. It won’t be in a Newcastle United shirt though, and it doesn’t look like it will be for Standard Liege either.