Former Portsmouth loanee to have Newcastle United contract ripped up with Championship rivals keen

Isaac Hayden will be on the move this summer, bringing an end to a difficult nine-year stay with Newcastle United.

The midfielder hasn’t featured for Eddie Howe’s men in three-and-a-half-years, with his last outing coming against Manchester City in December 2021.

This has seen the classy operator go out on loan with Norwich City, Standard Liege, QPR and most recently Pompey as he went in search of much-needed game time.

But, Hayden is set to become a free agent this summer, with his St James’ Park contract set to be torn up despite still having another 12 months left on his six-year deal.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the Jamaican international has agreed to leave Newcastle and will be available on a free transfer.

The report also claims a number of Championship and European clubs are considering a move as he looks to put his Magpies disappointment to bed.

After making the switch from Arsenal in 2016, Hayden has registered 171 outings in all competitions during a nine-year stint in the north east.

Following his return from Fratton Park at the end of last season, the 30-year-old’s future looked certain to be away from Newcastle, having been left out of Howe’s 30-man squad for their tour of Asia earlier last month.

It was another clear indication the former Arsenal academy talent is once again out of the Magpies boss’ plans for next term, having fallen down the pecking order in the engine room.

After spending the second half of the season on loan at PO4, where he made 17 appearances following his arrival in January, a return to the south coast is highly unlikely.

While fellow Championship rivals are keen on the midfielder, the Blues’ engine room has been fully strengthened, with Mark Kosznovszky, Luke Le Roux and John Swift joining Marlon Pack and Andre Dozzell in the middle of the park during the transfer window.

In fact, a second spell at PO4 was something Hayden admitted at the end of last term was unrealistic, suggesting a comeback was off the cards.

But the seven-cap international will be leaving the north east this summer and is expected to have his contract ripped up in a bid for a fresh start.

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Cohen Bramall finds a new home

Meanwhile, another Fratton Park departure has also found a new home on the eve of the new 2025-26 campaign.

Cohen Bramall was one of five players released at the end of their deals in May, joining Kusini Yengi, Alexander Milosevic, Tom Lowery and Anthony Scully through the exit doors.

But the left-back has since sealed a switch to League One, completing a switch to Luton Town just hours before their curtain raiser against AFC Wimbledon on Friday evening.

The 29-year-old penned a two-year deal at Kenilworth Road following his Pompey exit at the end of last season.

After arriving for an undisclosed fee in January from Rotherham, Bramall registered 12 appearances for John Mousinho’s men before being released at the conclusion of his short-term contract.

The defender watched on from the sidelines as his new Hatters side secured a 1-0 opening-day victory against AFC Wimbledon on Friday evening.

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