In-demand Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote has insisted he is happy on Tyneside amid speculation his club might sell him next month.<\/p>\n
The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international has been linked with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham in recent weeks, and manager Alan Pardew is bracing himself for a bid when the transfer window opens on January 1 having warned potential purchasers they will have to pay a lot of money to prise the former FC Twente enforcer out of his hands.<\/p>\n
However, Tiote has vowed simply to concentrate on his football as the speculation mounts.<\/p>\n
He told the Evening Chronicle: “People can say whatever they want to say about me, but I’m a professional footballer and I play for Newcastle.<\/p>\n
“I’m not thinking of leaving in January – I’m very happy playing for this club.<\/p>\n
“That’s my job and I need to work hard for the team and the club. I have to focus on my job for Newcastle – that’s what I have to do.”<\/p>\n
Those words may prove some comfort to Pardew, who knows any decision might not be his to make if an acceptable offer was forthcoming.<\/p>\n
He spent most of last January insisting striker Andy Carroll was not for sale, only to see him head through the exit door for Liverpool after the Reds tabled a monster \u00a335million bid on the final day of the window.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In-demand Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote has insisted he is happy on Tyneside amid speculation his club might sell him next month. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\n