It has been quite a while since we have seen Jeff Hendrick on the pitch. The Ireland midfielder has not played a competitive game since the start of March, opting not to play after the season resumed due to his contract expiring.
A number of rumours were floated around as to where he could end up next. AC Milan was mooted, as were Roma and Manchester United. He was also linked with a number of other Premier League clubs.
It was assumed we would hear news of his next move directly after his contract expired, but all was quiet on that front. It had been suggested that Hendrick had been offered to a couple of different clubs, and a decision now appears to have been made.
The Guardian are reporting that Hendrick is set to sign a deal with Newcastle United, having seen off competition from Aston Villa for his signature.
This would seem like a deal that makes sense for all involved. Hendrick has remained in the Premier League and is sure to have received a sizeable salary increase due to his status as a free agent.
Newcastle will add a player with plenty of experience in the division, one with a track record of steady performances. He may not be the big money additions the club's supporters would have been hoping for this summer, but his versatility and consistency would make him an ideal addition to the squad.
It is highly likely that the Dubliner would have sought assurances about consistent first team football in any move, so we can expect to see plenty of him in action if he completes the move to the North-East of England.
Hendrick featured predominantly as a right midfielder for Burnley over the last couple of seasons and it will be interesting to see where he would slot into Steve Bruce's side. They mainly used a 5-4-1 or 4-4-1-1 formation during the most recent campaign, although they did switch to 4-2-3-1 system later in the season.
The latter two of those formations would seem an ideal fit for Hendrick, who is capable of playing in a holding or more advanced midfield role. Ireland boss Stephen Kenny had speculated recently that the player could be looking for more minutes in his natural central midfield position at his next club.
That should be a possibility at Newcastle, whose central midfield options currently consist of the likes of Jonjo Shelvey, Miguel Almiron, and Jack Colback. They were even forced to use defender Fabian Schar to fill that role at times.
