Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has said that he ‘sincerely hopes’ that Issac Hayden will stay at the club beyond the end of the transfer window.
The 24-year-old emerged as an important player for Rafael Benitez towards the end of last season.
However, Hayden previously made it clear that he wants to quit the Tyneside club at the end of the season.
The midfielder even handed in a transfer request back in July but it was blocked by the club. Newcastle allowed him more flexibility to travel back to London before and after games instead.
Bruce has developed a strong rapport with Hayden after the pair worked together at Hull City.
The Newcastle boss says that he can see positive signs that he can persuade the midfielder to continue playing at St James’ Park for the coming season.
“I sincerely hope so,” said Bruce to the Chronicle.
“He’s another really good young player who I had the privilege to work with at Hull.
“All the indications are positive, so let’s hope we can persuade him to stay and play his football at Newcastle. Certainly that’s what I want.”
Newcastle haven’t signed a midfielder this summer, and therefore losing Hayden towards the end of the transfer window would be a massive blow for the club.
He played his part in Newcastle’s 3-1 pre-season friendly win over Hibernian, and the Magpies boss is trying his best to keep him at the club.
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