Why West Ham should make a move for Newcastle’s Isaac Hayden
Back in June, the Daily Star had claimed that West Ham were interested in signing Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden. However, a move didn’t materialise and he stayed put at St. James’ Park.
Isaac Hayden, 24, was one of Rafael Benitez’s side’s star performers over the second half of last season, as Newcastle United comfortably secured their safety in the Premier League. Under manager Steve Bruce this season, the Englishman has made 23 league appearances, scoring and assisting a goal apiece.
With the 24-year-old enjoying another solid campaign with the Magpies, West Ham must rekindle their interest in him during the summer transfer window.
West Ham’s hopes of survival were boosted at the weekend when they ran out comfortable 3-1 winners over Southampton. But a surprise win for Watford over league leaders Liverpool and a draw for Bournemouth against Chelsea took the shine off the Hammers’ result. They are now placed 16th on the table after a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal.
In order to boost West Ham’s hopes of survival, David Moyes signed the likes of Tomas Soucek, Darren Randolph and Jarrod Bowen in January. Soucek played three games before getting injured, while Bowen scored his first goal for his new club in the 3-1 win over Southampton.
Overall, West Ham have shortcomings in certain areas of the pitch and Moyes must address it over the summer transfer window. One area the Scotsman should prioritise reinforcing is the midfield. Declan Rice has endured an inconsistent campaign, while Mark Noble will turn 33 in May and is entering the twilight of his career.
Jack Wilshere continues to struggle for fitness and Carlos Sanchez is out of contract in the summer. Moreover, West Ham sold Pedro Obiang to Sassuolo in the summer but failed to bring in a replacement at that time. Considering the fact that Noble is ageing and Sanchez has entered the final few months of his current contract, Moyes should look to sign Isaac Hayden.
Read more
- Why West Ham should plot a summer swoop for Javier Manquillo
- Why West Ham must reignite their interest in Felipe Caicedo
- Why West Ham should sign Ollie Watkins to end goalscoring woes
Hayden has made 28 appearances across all competitions so far, establishing himself as one of the most reliable customers under Bruce. The 24-year-old usually slots into a defensive midfield role to help protect the backline and has been a regular starter during the campaign. Overall, the former England Under-21 international has made 83 appearances for Newcastle since signing in 2016.
Verdict
At the age of 24, Hayden still has a long way to go to fulfil his potential. He’s proven to be a reliable player for Newcastle and can certainly develop his overall skillset under the guidance of Moyes. Hence, West Ham must secure the defensive midfielder’s services in a bid to ease their midfield woes ahead of the 2020/21 season.
