West Ham United are reportedly interested in signing Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey this summer.
It has been reported by the Chronicle that West Ham are keen on signing Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in the summer, with the boyhood Hammers fans keen to secure regular first-team football after a difficult campaign at St James’ Park.
Shelvey has previously been the talisman for the Magpies, but he has made just eight Premier League starts this season while a further six appearances have come from the bench.
Rafa Benitez has struggled to find a place for Shelvey this season, with the likes of Isaac Hayden, Sean Longstaff and Ki Sung-yueng all impressing in the middle of the park, particularly since the turn of the year.
Their form should be allowing Newcastle to focus on strengthening other areas of the squad this summer. But it appears that one of that previously mentioned trio could be heading for the same exit door that Shelvey may be expecting to soon make his way through.
The Chronicle’s report on Shelvey also alluded to Hayden’s future on Tyneside being up in the air due to personal reasons, with the former Arsenal trainee keen to move closer to the south and set to be available for around £15 million.
And while Manuel Pellegrini may have his sights set on bringing Shelvey to the London Stadium, perhaps Hayden is actually the Newcastle player that the Irons should be targeting.
Hayden has really stepped up this year. There were concerns about how he would get on having failed to secure a move away last summer, but his performances have been outstanding for much of the campaign.
His form will only make it all the more disappointing for Newcastle fans if he does end up leaving. But West Ham should certainly offer the 24-year-old the chance to move closer to his family this summer.
On current form, Hayden could be an absolute steal at £15 million. And he still has time to get even better, especially when you consider that he has only made 33 starts in the Premier League over the last two seasons.
Signing Shelvey now looks to be a significant gamble for West Ham. It may pay off, but they have not got the best record when it comes to paying big fees or offering out lucrative contracts to players who have big question marks against their name for whatever reason.
As things stand, Hayden looks much better value for money. And given his difficulties with settling in the North-East, perhaps he would relish the chance to join the Irons if the opportunity presented itself this summer.
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