Former Portsmouth loan star set for summer move - but no Fratton Park return on cards after 'difficult' financial conversation

Former Pompey loanee Isaac Hayden appears set for a move during the summer transfer window as he looks to boost his hopes of securing a place at next summer’s World Cup finals.

With a relegation battle in full swung, Pompey turned to the transfer market in January as the likes of Sunderland midfielder Adil Aouchiche and Bristol City defender Rob Atkinson both moved to Fratton Park.

A move to reunite Newcastle United midfielder Hayden with former Magpies team-mate Matt Ritchie was also concluded, with the seven-times capped Jamaica international going on to make 17 appearances as John Mousinho’s side preserved their second-tier status before the end of the campaign.

The 30-year-old has now returned to the north east. But reports today have suggested the Premier League club will allow him to depart this summer and are open to offers for the former Arsenal and Hull City midfielder.

Pompey are in the market for two midfielders during the summer transfer window and have been linked with moves for Cardiff City’s Alex Robertson and Silkeborg’s Pelle Mattsson in recent weeks. However, any thoughts of a permanent Fratton Park move for Hayden already seem to have been ended by the man himself as he revealed the conversations he had with the Fratton Park hierarchy prior to his January loan move.

The Magpies midfielder said: ‘When I came to the club initially it was a “you help me and I’ll help you situation”. I don’t think there’s anything more than that. I think financially it’s a little bit of a difficult conversation and also when I spoke to people at the end of January when I signed, the situation was the club want to go in a younger direction. I don’t think they want to go with players who are my age and above.

‘So it’s one of those where they gave me the games and the platform to play, I’ve played, done well and we’ve stayed up - everyone’s a winner. I knew already for a while it was going to be a situation like that, and they were the circumstances I was coming here under. I’m now going into a situation off the back of some games, some good games, and I can now go into the summer and international football in a good space.’

World Cup qualification

Hayden has broken into the senior international game over the last year after being handed a debut for Jamaica in a CONCACAF Nations League game with the United States in November and the most recent of his seven caps came in a 3-0 win over Guatemala in a World Cup 2025 qualifier last month.

The Reggae Boyz, who are managed by former England boss Steve McClaren will hope to seal their place at next summer’s finals when they face Panama and Costa Rica in the third and final qualifying phase throughout the remainder of the year.

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