West Ham United were said to be interested in Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden earlier this summer.
The central midfielder was thought to be valued at £20 million by Newcastle (Telegraph), but it seems that he could now stay at St. James’ Park.
Hayden has previously suggested that he wanted to move down south, with West Ham thought to be an appealing move for the combative midfielder.
However, Bruce’s comments suggest that he has now done a u-turn and could stay on Tyneside.
“I’ve had a really positive conversation with Isaac,” Bruce said. “That goes for a team that’s been together for a few years now. They’re a really good group, honest. It must have been a really difficult summer for them. They want to prove themselves.”
Whether West Ham could afford Hayden now is actually up for debate, as they have spent big on improving their attack this summer.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side have just sold Pedro Obiang though, so a new central midfielder could be on their wishlist.
If Hayden does stick around at Newcastle that would be a huge boost for Bruce, as the former Arsenal man was one of his side’s very best players towards the back end of last season, when Rafael Benitez was still in charge.
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