Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side are flying high in the Premier League this season, indicating that the club’s recruitment department have continued to get things spot on in terms of player hires.
As other clubs have found out, perhaps Chelsea most notably, it doesn’t matter if you have a bottomless pit of money if you don’t know how to spend it wisely.
The Magpies have been studious in their recruitment with Howe also moving on those players that don’t fit into his dynamic.
Given how well they’ve done over the last 18 months, it’s very difficult to argue against the way in which the manager and his staff have gone about their business.
One player that was moved on in the summer was Isaac Hayden, a player signed by the previous regime and who wasn’t featuring for the club.
It saw him join Standard Liege and though that may have appeared to have been an interesting choice on the face of it, the player had good reason.
“Standard is a great club, with fantastic fans. Their way of supporting is incredible. I’m happy with my start but we can reach a better level,” he said to Walfoot.
“I had options in England but as I got older I wanted to try something different. I will be 29 at the end of the season. It was the right time for me to try a new championship, a new challenge.
“With no disrespect to the Championship, I think I’m better than that when I’m at my best. I have played for three of the best teams in the division (Newcastle, Hull City and Norwich).
“I know what I can do when I am fit, and I preferred to change leagues to continue performing at a high level.”
Intriguingly, he hasn’t ruled out a possible return to Newcastle or any other English club that might be interested in his services.
“Things can happen very quickly in football. My focus is only on Standard, and we’ll see if one day I want to return to England,” he added.
It’s difficult to see a spot for him at St. James’ Park in the future, however. Eddie Howe wasn’t picking him for a reason and that’s unlikely to change as the club’s trajectory goes ever higher.