Newcastle United are - quite literally - still paying for the mistakes of the Mike Ashley regime, with the former Magpies owner having overseen a chequered transfer record that has left the club lumbered with a number of unwanted assets.

One such peripheral figure is that of Jeff Hendrick, with the Republic of Ireland international currently out on loan at Championship side Reading, just over two years on from having joined the Tynesiders from Burnley on a free transfer.

While the midfielder is no longer part of Eddie Howe's squad, the club's desperation to move him on in the recent window has ensured that they are still liable for a fair chunk of his £50k-per-week wage, as per the Telegraph, with Paul Ince's side paying just a 'tiny faction' of that hefty salary.

The report suggests that the northeast side were essentially forced to agree to such a costly deal - as well as a handful of others - in order to persuade the second-tier side to take him off their books, with PIF now left to suffer financially as a result of Ashley's failings with the midfielder setting them back around £5.2m in wages since arriving.

Howe and co had been so keen to move the player on as a result of his dismal performances at St James' Park in recent seasons, with the £2.7m-rated man having been restricted to 27 appearances in all competitions in that time, scoring three times and laying on only one assist.

While the 74-cap dud's impact was no doubt limited, when he was able to feature he rarely took the opportunity to impress, having notably been dubbed "sloppy in possession" and a "liability" by journalist Scott Wilson during a clash with Southampton back in November 2020.

Such a performance seemingly epitomised his failings at Newcastle, while he has hardly proved the doubters wrong during his spells in the second tier of late, having underwhelmed during a temporary stint at Queens Park Rangers in the second half of last term, failing to provide a goal contribution in 11 appearances at Loftus Road.

That lack of quality has again been on show this term with the 30-year-old having been unable to register a goal or an assist in his opening 11 games at his current home, with his average match rating of 6.69, as per SofaScore, only the 17th best among the Royals squad.

With the one-time Derby County man not exactly pulling up any trees at present, it remains to be seen if this latest move will lead to a permanent exit, with there a potential for him to still be on Newcastle's books next season with his existing deal set to run until 2024.

That would no doubt be a nightmare scenario, with the club having seemingly already been rinsed enough by the Irishman as it is.