Close-run Sheffield Wednesday transfer figure to leave PL giants - set to play v Owls this weekend

The QPR midfielder is on loan from Newcastle United and has played a part in each of his side’s 11 Championship matches since joining in January, eight coming as starts. It comes after the first half of his season was spent in Belgium with Standard Liege, where he also made 11 appearances.

The Star broke news of Sheffield Wednesday interest in Hayden back in August, with the former Arsenal prospect getting close to completing a loan agreement before the Owls pulled out at the eleventh hour. As reported at the time, it is understood Hayden travelled to Middlewood Road to complete a season-long deal but that concerns over his fitness sparked a u-turn.

Reports in January suggested Newcastle were set to cancel Hayden’s contract and allow the player to sign elsewhere on a permanent basis. Wednesday’s interest was not believed to have been seriously reignited and the Owls are set to do battle with the 29-year-old at Loftus Road this weekend.

Subsequent reports suggest Hayden could see his Newcastle contract torn up in the summer as the midfielder seeks to get his career back on track after years of injury struggle saw his playing time at St James Park significantly reduced.

“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,” Hayden, who is currently under contract at Newcastle until 2026, told The Sun this week.

“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.”