OPINION
With Aston Villa back targeting a top six spot and a shot at promotion after their summer’s financial troubles, manager Steve Bruce needs to make sure he has a squad capable of challenging – and who better than a proven Championship title winner at Newcastle United?
Midfielder Isaac Hayden, who joined the Magpies from Arsenal in 2017 after impressing at Hull City in the second tier, was a key player on the way to the north east side’s winning campaign during their sole season outside the top flight.
He made 33 appearances on the way to the title, only missing out as a result of an ankle injury late on in the season, and has a total of 51 Championship appearances under his belt.
However, after featuring 29 times across all competitions last season, it is reported by the Mirror that he has asked to leave the club for personal reasons – the club not sanctioning anything before last week’s shutting of the transfer window – and that Aston Villa are interested in taking him on loan before the end of August.
Hayden would be a great player to add to Bruce’s squad, but it could well leave a senior trio in the firing line as the manager looks to trim his options from a bloated team list.
Henri Lansbury, Mile Jedinak and Birkir Bjarnason have all been linked with moves away from Villa Park this summer and Hayden’s arrival would almost certainly see at least one leave before the end of August, with Bruce not needing as many midfielders as he would have on the Newcastle man’s arrival.
All are capable performers, but with the manager having already admitted he needs to trim the age of his side after falling in the play-off final with an experienced squad, Hayden would be a much better fit than any of the trio.
With Villa having until the end of August to decide who stays, who goes and who comes in, things need to move fast, and it could well see at least one of the three senior figures head out the door.