Aston Villa are reportedly keen on Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden.
Aston Villa could be busy in the final hours of the January transfer window, with a holding midfielder clearly on Dean Smith’s wish list.
Villa have brought in goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic and defender Kortney Hause so far this month, but could pursue a number of deals before the window slams shut.
Earlier this week, the Birmingham Mail reported that Villa’s primary target before the deadline is Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden.
It’s stated that Villa have already made contact with Hayden, who has been looking to leave Newcastle since the end of last season.
However, the move has become far more complicated over the past 24 hours – starting with Hayden’s participation in the win over Manchester City last night.
Hayden starting such a big game means that Rafael Benitez clearly still sees him as part of the plans, with Ki Sung-yueng, Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame out of the picture.
Newcastle are set to sign a midfielder though, with The Chronicle claiming that Benfica’s Andreas Samaris is poised to join the Magpies, which could free up Hayden to move on.
With BBC Sport reporting that Villa are also looking at Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah, Hayden’s potential move to Villa Park is completely up in the air ahead of the deadline, with Villa seeking a late deal for their top target.
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