Former Newcastle United hero Philippe Albert has reservations about a deal that will see Isaac Hayden leave the Premier League giants for Belgian outfit Standard Liege.
After snapping up youngsters Isaac Price and Romain Mundle earlier in the summer – the talented duo leaving Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in favour of more regular first-team football in the Jupiler League – Standard Liege are returning to a familiar hunting ground for two more English-based players in need of a fresh start.
The Belgian outfit have had a £3 million bid accepted by Southampton for Moussa Djenepo. The seldom-seen winger returns to a club he left back in 2019.
Newcastle United’s long-serving forgotten man is on his way to the Stade Maurice Dufrasne too; Isaac Hayden agreeing to join on loan. According to Le Soir, Standard are still expecting to get both players in the door before the Belgian window closes on Wednesday night.
Isaac Hayden is leaving Newcastle United for Standard Liege
Albert has his concerns, however.
Standard, he says, need players capable of making an immediate impact after a winless start to the new Jupiler League season. And Hayden may take some time to get going, having started just nine league games during a loan spell at Norwich City in 2022/23 due to a troublesome knee injury.
“Hayden? It will take him two or three months to get back to his level following his injury,” Albert, scorer of that iconic chip over Peter Schmeichel back in 1995, tells La Tribune.
“Standard needs players who know the league and are good straight away.”
Newcastle certainly won’t stand in Hayden’s way.
An analogue man in a digital era at St James’ Park, Hayden – like Jeff Hendrick, Javi Manquillo Matt Ritchie and co – feel like rather awkward reminders of less-heralded days on Tyneside. Hayden, who joined Newcastle from Arsenal when they were a Championship club all the way back in 2016, has not made a single appearance for the Magpies in almost two years.
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