Amidst interest from West Brom and Aston Villa, Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden looks to be heading for a long overdue St James’ Park exit after handing in a transfer request this summer.

Since joining from Arsenal in 2016 for a fee of £2.5million, the 23-year-old has made 67 league appearances under Rafa Benitez but has struggled to consolidate a spot in a below par central midfield role on Tyneside, partly due to various minor injury problems which has led match fitness issues in the last 12 months.

After back-to-back promotions from the Championship with Hull and Newcastle in 2016 and 2017, the former England-U21 international is eyeing a return to the second flight and could be part of a third successive promotion at West Brom or Villa if a deal goes through.

Whilst the obvious positive of a move to the Championship would be guaranteed game time for Hayden, it is believed that his eagerness to flee the Magpies’ nest is to live closer to his daughter and her mother who are believed to reside in South Wales.

Despite his impeccable work ethic and passion on the field, Hayden explained in an interview with Chronicle Live: “my daughter will always come first for me, above any football.” Thus, a Midlands transfer would be ideal.

Personal reasons aside, Hayden’s impact as a player could be vital for any Championship outfit throughout the second half of the season.

His typically calm, collected on-ball presence, particularly at Championship level partnered with his tenacity and relentless work rate, box-to-box midfielders of his quality are extremely hard to come by, particularly for a club outside of the top flight.

The Newcastle boss has expressed Hayden’s importance to his side and is keen to hold onto the ex-Arsenal youngster, and Ki Sung-Yeung representing South Korea in the Asian Cup, unless Newcastle find a replacement a move might not be possible for Hayden.

However, having struggled to get to grips with the demands of the Premier League, an opportunity to rediscover his form in the Championship before a potential return to Newcastle means that the outcome of this transfer window could be the making or breaking of his career.

Perhaps he is just one of those top tier Championship players who will never quite cut it at the highest level, alternatively, a loan spell at Villa or West Brom could be the final preparation for the Prem. Either way, a Championship move is needed for Hayden, but where will he end up?