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Cabaye told to stay at Newcastle

Yohan Cabaye has been a big hit in a disappointing season for Newcastle United © PA Photos

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Massadio Haidara is adamant Yohan Cabaye must remain at Newcastle, amid interest from Manchester United and Monaco, after revealing the midfielder's influential role in leading the dressing room.

A £4.3 million signing from Lille in the summer of 2011, Cabaye enjoyed a stellar first campaign in the Premier League as the Magpies finished fifth in the Premier League.

However the 27-year-old, along with his team-mates, endured a difficult second season under manager Alan Pardew, only narrowly escaping the threat of relegation.

Heavily linked with a move away from Tyneside this summer, Cabaye did little to dismiss speculation when asked about a potential move to Manchester United by Canal+ recently.

With fans desperate for the France international midfielder to stay, Haidara has echoed their sentiments, saying that Cabaye has already had a strong influence on his time at Newcastle.

"Of course I want Yohan to remain at Newcastle United this summer," he told the Journal. "He's a really important player for the club and for the team. He's a great player and has certainly shown how important he is for Newcastle and for the French national team too.

"From a personal point of view I didn't really know Yohan that well before I came to Newcastle - I had played against him before and he's one of the players who gave me the warmest welcome and I'd like to express my thanks to him for that. He really helped me to settle and I get on very well with him - just like I do for the rest of the team."

Burdened with problems on the pitch, the Magpies have also been unable to avoid speculation over off-field issues. Claims of a dressing room split involving the club's French contingent were strongly denied by the club and saw the Daily Telegraph banned from reporting at St James' Park.

Dismissing those claims outright, Haidara painted a picture of a united dressing room, admitting that he has yet to witness a problem amongst the playing staff.

"Obviously when some things aren't going well people will look to create extra problems where they don't exist," he said. "In my experience since I've been here I haven't seen a single problem - not among the French players, not among anyone. Quite the contrary, we all speak together.

"It's normal that you might stick to speaking to people who speak the same language as you, but that doesn't mean we don't speak to other people in the group either. I haven't seen any single problem - we all get on well together, we all like each other. I think that will continue into the future."

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