Preston North End have been linked with Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden but he is now joining Queens Park Rangers instead.
Deadline day is entering its final stages and it’s difficult to see PNE making any moves.
North End have been quiet throughout the January window and there seemingly won’t be any late additions.
There haven’t even been many rumours through this January window with PNE fans even starved of the usual transfer market chatter.
One of the few names linked is Isaac Hayden, with reports in January suggesting that the Newcastle United midfielder was in talks to join North End.
PNE boss Ryan Lowe even called Hayden a ‘fantastic’ player whilst speaking to the Lancashire Evening Post last month but highlighted that somebody would have to leave in order for signings to come in.
Isaac Hayden heading to Queens Park Rangers after PNE links
With no major outgoings materialising, PNE haven’t been in a position to sign Hayden and he is now heading elsewhere.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Hayden is signing for Queens Park Rangers with a ‘deal done’ for him to join on loan.
Hayden will spend the rest of the season on loan in West London after cutting short his loan spell with Standard Liege in Belgium.
The 28-year-old spent the first half of the campaign in Belgium and made 10 league appearances before heading back to England.
Hayden isn’t part of the plans at Newcastle and will now be allowed to spend the second half of the season helping QPR battle against relegation.
As much as Hayden would have brought a combative edge to PNE’s midfield, adding another option in the engine room just didn’t add up to us.
Lowe already has Ryan Ledson, Ali McCann, Ben Whiteman and Alan Browne at his disposal so adding another midfielder seemed strange.
North End have a limited budget to work with and we would have been surprised to see Hayden arrive this month.
Maybe Hayden will be a name to watch for the summer, but he will now be in contention to play against PNE on April 20th, when Lowe takes his side to Loftus Road.