Isaac Hayden to Newcastle: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Newcastle United have signed midfielder Isaac Hayden from Arsenal on a five-year deal, it was confirmed on Monday.

News of the transfer came via the club’s official Twitter feed, with the 21-year-old pictured in the famous black and white stripes:

“Newcastle is a massive football club and to be given the opportunity to come here and progress my career is fantastic," said Hayden to the club’s official website. "Being at Arsenal was a great experience, I learned a lot there and have a lot to thank them for, but I needed to move on and so when Newcastle came in for me I jumped at the chance.”

Magpies manager Rafael Benitez hailed Hayden as “a young, strong English player with fantastic potential.” He also noted the versatility of the youngster, as he can operate both in midfield and as a centre-back.

Sky Sports’ Keith Downie broke down what the St James’ Park crowd can expect from their new acquisition:

Hayden leaves the Gunners having only featured for the first team on a couple of occasions in the Capital One Cup; he was part of the Arsenal academy setup for five years before making his full debut against West Bromwich Albion in 2013.

His former club posted the following on their own Twitter feed after the switch was confirmed:

Hayden spent the previous season on loan at Hull City, where he featured 24 times. The Tigers were eventually promoted to the Premier League via the Championship Playoffs.

Under Benitez, Newcastle will also be seeking to gain promotion. The Magpies were relegated in shock circumstances at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, although they did show some signs of life under the tutelage of their new manager, who took over from the sacked Steve McClaren in March.