What Newcastle United have already said about potential QPR transfer


QPR focus is beginning to turn the summer transfer window ahead with Championship safety secured thanks to Friday night's stunning 4-0 victory over promotion-chasing Leeds United.
With several first team stars' contracts set to expire at the end of the campaign and Marti Cifuentes preparing for his first full season in charge at Loftus Road, it could be a summer of change for the Rs. QPR have already been linked with a Leicester City youngster and Belgian winger in the days following victory over the Whites.
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Hide AdOne deal that QPR look likely to pursue is that of signing Isaac Hayden from Newcastle United. The midfielder has been on loan in London since February and put in some respectable performances after a spell at Standard Liege in Belgium over the first half of the campaign came to an underwhelming end.
Hayden has made 16 Championship appearances, helping QPR to survival and earned the praise of Cifuentes. The QPR head coach has hailed his 'big character' and influence on the first team. Should the club announce the purchase of Hayden this summer, it perhaps wouldn't be a huge surprise to supporters.
The Magpies man currently has another two years on his Newcastle United deal, having penned a long-term contract with the side when Steve Bruce was in charge on Tyneside. However, it is pretty clear that he is not in Eddie Howe's thinking for the next 24 months.
Speaking in May 2023, Howe admitted having had candid discussions with players like Hayden who did not have a future in his squad. He said: “I had those conversations with those players last year, where they trained separately from the group. That was only so I could control the numbers that I was working with and maintain the focus of the players that were going to be part of our season.
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Hide Ad“I don’t anticipate that changing to be honest. Those lads have done very well, and they’ve been great lads and servants to the football club over many seasons. We certainly respect them, but sometimes you have to make a clear break and focus on the players that are going to be part of our season next year.”


Earlier this year, The Chronicle named Hayden as one of the players that Newcastle United would look to remove from their books this summer to free up their wage bill. Hayden is believed to be earning around £50,000 per week and is a priority to be sold.
Given there are two years still on his deal, QPR would need to buy the player from the Magpies, unless a mutual agreement on a contract termination was to come about - although Newcastle United could accept a cut-price bid if they are desperate to part with the midfielder. Hayden has shared his desire to stay at Loftus Road, but that would likely need to come with a sizeable pay cut.
Hayden said: “It’s a situation where myself and the club [Newcastle] will have to sit down in the summer and discuss what they want to do. I had to take a pay cut to go to QPR, which I was happy to do for the last few months of the season, to get games. But it’ll be back to square one in the summer but hopefully I can help keep QPR up and would love to stay here if possible.”
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