Newcastle United midfield duo Isaac Hayden and Jeff Hendrick are both linked with transfer moves away from the club, according to various sources.

The Sheffield Star reports that Sheffield Wednesday are tracking both players and could make an offer soon.

Meanwhile, Newcastle World states that Leeds United are also interested in a move for Hendrick – they also stated that the Toon hope that Hayden will ‘follow Hendrick out of the St James’ Park exit door’.

On his players’ availability, Eddie Howe said: “I think 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.

“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.”

Will Newcastle be affected by the loss of Jeff Hendrick?

Hendrick is a talented, hard-working player – but given Newcastle’s current position, they can now call upon other players who are far superior to the Republic of Ireland international.

Bringing in elite talents such as Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes has rendered Hendrick somewhat obsolete in the never-ending Premier League arms race – as such, he would be better served lending his abilities to another club.

Will the Toon miss Isaac Hayden?

Isaac Hayden is in a similar position to Hendrick within the Newcastle hierarchy. While they have both been excellent servants to the Mags over the years, they have been replaced by superior talents.

Of the two, Hayden has more to offer. Should he stay at St. James’ Park, he could provide a useful rotation option in central and defensive midfield – but he will not be a first-team starter.