Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden has had a £20million price tag slapped on his head by the club with hopes that he will stay at the club this summer, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on their website that the wantaway central star, who has confirmed his desire to leave the north east for personal reasons, has emerged on the radar of the England national setup due to his impressive performances in the middle of the park and that has driven the Magpies’ demands up.
It is stated that the £20million price comes as the club use the £17million transfer of Dominic Solanke as a comparison for what they can expect to get, but that manager Rafael Benitez would rather see him stay on board.
Opinion
If you had told any Newcastle United fan last summer that Isaac Hayden would have been one of their standout performers this season, let alone that he would have a £20million price tag on his head a year later, they would have laughed at you. He was very much a backup option to Benitez and looking to leave St James’ Park and under other circumstances he would have been on his way. Instead the club’s lack of transfer spending means that he stayed on Tyneside and has become integral to the way Newcastle play, his reported international interest testament to how far he has come in a short space of time. It is not a surprise Newcastle do not want to let him go and they might well be able to convince him to stay if they can sort some sort of agreement out. For the club, his personal life must come second with their footballing interests taking priority. That means him staying at the club.