• Premier League

Tiote not ready to become Chelsea's new Essien

ESPN staff
July 15, 2011
Cheick Tiote was one of Newcastle's star performers last season © PA Photos
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Cheick Tiote has crushed speculation linking him to Chelsea as a replacement for the injured Michael Essien, insisting he will honour his contract at Newcastle.

Chelsea were rocked on Monday by news that Essien will miss the first half of the season. The Ghanaian midfielder ruptured a cruciate ligament in his knee and is expected to be sidelined for at least six months.

Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas has been linked with several players as a back-up option, with West Ham's Scott Parker a reported loan target for his former employers. The transfer saga of Luka Modric also continues to rumble on, with the Croatian viewed as a different option that would allow Frank Lampard to sit a little deeper in the Chelsea midfield.

Tiote is the most like-for-like replacement on Chelsea's radar though, following an impressive season for Newcastle that even had former England international Jamie Redknapp labelling the 25-year-old "the new Essien".

However, Tiote is only a handful of months into a new six-and-a-half year deal at Newcastle, following his £3.5 million switch from FC Twente. The Ivory Coast international has seen the influential Kevin Nolan leave, but he is not about to do the same.

"I am a Newcastle player and I will do my job in Newcastle," Tiote told the Evening Chronicle. "I have a contract and that is the most important thing for me. I'm happy - if I wasn't happy, I wouldn't have signed for six years."

Tiote is currently focused on Newcastle's forthcoming pre-season tour of the United States, which the Magpies fly out for on Monday.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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