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Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden is attracting interest from West Ham United - who also are also long-term admirers of his Magpies team-mate Jonjo Shelvey.

Hayden handed in a transfer request last summer due to his desire to relocate and move closer to his family in the South West, given that his one-year-old daughter requires regular medical attention down there.

Whether east London is his preferred destination is unclear, though the 24-year-old would be able to commute to his family base more easily down there than he does in the North East, with Hayden having driven several hundreds mile a week during the 2018/19 season in order to see his daughter and fiancee.

Like every other crucial decision at St James' Park the moment, Hayden's future is on hold until manager Rafa Benitez's future is resolved. The 59-year-old met owner Mike Ashley more than a week ago, but he has yet to sign an extension to his current deal, which expires on June 30.

Speaking earlier this month, Benitez stated that Newcastle would attempt to find a solution this summer that suited both the club and Hayden, though the Spaniard insisted it was not a certainty that the midfielder would be permitted to leave.

After regaining his place in the United side on Boxing Day, Hayden was an ever-present in the Premier League from that point on thanks to his magnificent form in the engine room.

As a result, his number of potential suitors have increased - Brighton & Hove Albion hold a long-term interest, while Aston Villa could pursue a move if they achieve promotion by winning the Championship play-off final, and other clubs are understood to have expressed a desire to sign Hayden, too - though so too has his price tag.

Newcastle are likely to demand a fee in excess of £15million for Hayden, considering he is England-qualified, and given that Benitez would rather not sell the midfielder but is reluctantly willing to do so given his personal circumstances. However, a replacement would need to be signed before Hayden's move is ratified.

West Ham need to bolster their quota of 'homegrown' players in order to meet the Premier League's minimum requirement of boasting eight in their 25-man squad, and Hayden is someone they are understood to be interested in.

Yet the Hammers also hold a long-term interest in Shelvey, whose Magpies future is also uncertain following an injury-affected campaign.

(Image: PA)

Should a substantial offer be received for Shelvey this summer, then Newcastle would consider selling their highest earner - the midfielder earns in excess of £80,000 a week - but the Magpies are already set to lose Mo Diame on a free transfer, while Hayden is also keen to depart.

It is highly unlikely that West Ham will attempt to sign both Hayden and Shelvey this summer, and so the latter may be handed another opportunity at Newcastle if his team-mate does depart for east London.

While Newcastle will resist Manchester United's attempts to sign youngster Sean Longstaff, Ki Sung-yueng is the only other first-team midfielder who is certain to be on Tyneside come the start of the 2019/20 season.