Newcastle United set to trigger midfielder clause imminently amid transfer interest & fresh CEO claim

Standard Liege chief executive Pierre Locht has revealed Isaac Hayden's loan spell from Newcastle United is set to be cut short.

Hayden joined the Belgian Pro League side on a season-long loan deal in September following a collapsed deadline-day move to Sheffield Wednesday. The midfielder has made 11 appearances in all competitions for Liege but has made just one start since a 6-0 defeat to Royal Antwerp on November 11.

Hayden wasn't part of the squad for the 3-3 friendly draw with Borussia Dortmund over the weekend and is understood to be returning to England amid interest from several clubs, including Premier League strugglers Sheffield United.

Standard CEO Locht told Belgian outlet DHnet: "It’s likely that [Hayden] won’t come back, yes."

“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.”

Hayden's last game for Newcastle came over two years ago before he was left out of Eddie Howe's 25-man squad for the second half of the 2021-22 season due to injury. He spent last season on loan at Norwich City but struggled to make an impact due to injury.

Newcastle are set to trigger Hayden's recall clause imminently with the view to loaning him out for the second half of the 2023-24 campaign. Sheffield United are understood to have registered an interest in the 28-year-old while Sheffield Wednesday's attempt to sign the player fell through on deadline day in the summer.

Wednesday could come back in for Hayden this month while Championship sides Blackburn Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Preston North End are also reportedly interested.

Hayden has made 171 appearances for Newcastle, scoring seven goals since his arrival from Arsenal in 2016. The midfielder is contracted to the club until 2026 but is not part of Eddie Howe's first-team plans having been made to train away from the club during the off-season.

Newcastle are currently looking to bolster their midfield this January with Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips a top target.