Newcastle United are currently relishing life under their new ownership, although PIF are still seemingly having to pay for the mistakes of the much-maligned Mike Ashley, with the former owner having made notable costly decisions over the years.

One issue that has reared its head in recent times is the hefty wages that the Englishman dished out to players at the club, with a recent report from the Telegraph having showcased that the Magpies are still having to cough up funds to pay the salaries of players who are no longer at St James' Park.

Midfielder Isaac Hayden is one such name on that list, with the Englishman still something of a financial burden for the northeast side, despite having sealed a loan move to Championship side Norwich City over the summer.

The report suggests that the Premier League outfit are still having to pay around £20k-per-week of the 27-year-old's £50k-per-week salary, with that a rather sizeable figure for a player who seemingly has no future back at his parent club.

The hope will be that the Tynesiders will be able to finally move the former Arsenal man on at the end of the season, with the Canaries set to have to make the temporary deal permanent if they secure a return to the top-flight, although that is not a foregone conclusion.

Newcastle may well be lumbered with the £5.4m-rated man beyond next summer if those at Carrow Road are unsuccessful in the promotion journey, with Dean Smith's side potentially unlikely to pursue a permanent move in that scenario, with Hayden having yet to feature for the club so far this term due to injury.

There is a very real possibility that he could return to the Magpies at the end of the current campaign, with manager Eddie Howe likely to struggle to move on a player who still has just under four years remaining on his existing deal at the club.

In all his wisdom, the aforementioned Ashley had sanctioned a new six-year deal for the defensive-minded asset back in 2020, with that a rather head-scratching commitment for a player who had been a reliable, yet unspectacular figure at the club since joining back in 2016.

The 6 foot 2 midfielder scored just seven goals and provided only ten assists from his 171 games for the club in all competitions, having notably missed much of last season with a knee injury that saw him excluded from Howe's Premier League squad.

With the club currently thriving in his absence - having lost just one of their opening eight league games - it is hard to see the one-time Hull City man having a role to play moving forward, hence the frustration that the club are still financially tied to him.

As pundit Noel Whelan suggested, Hayden - as well as fellow loanees Ciaran Clark and Dwight Gayle - have "served their purpose" at St James' Park, with the hope being that they can be moved on permanently sooner rather than later.