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With his Newcastle contract ticking down, Mo Diame has opened up on his future plans with the club, and the Senegalese midfielder is a very brave man.
Much was made of the form of Jamaal Lascelles, Martin Dubravka, Jonjo Shelvey, Ayoze Perez and Kenedy as Newcastle romped up the table to a top ten finish last season, but Diame didn’t get anywhere near the credit he deserved.
The 31 year-old’s all-action presence is what allowed Shelvey to spray the ball around freely, but both players have fallen by the wayside this season.
Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden have taken over the number one spots in midfield, and Diame has been forced to settle for a place on the bench since returning to full fitness recently.
And, speaking after Saturday’s loss to West Ham, last season’s unsung hero revealed all about his contract situation.
What did he say?
“I am focused on what this club needs to stay up, as that is the most important thing,” he said, as reported by Chronicle Live.
“I have been playing a lot this season so it will not be a problem to find another team. They (Newcastle) know I want to stay.
“But it’s not about me, it is about the club and what they want to do.
“I am focused on the job of staying up and there will be time in the summer to think about this.”
Should the Magpies give him a two-year deal?
Diame will be out of contract this summer, but the club can trigger a one-year extension by simply starting him three more times in the remaining nine Premier League matches.
According to the aforementioned Chronicle report though, the midfielder would rather ditch the one-year extension and pen a brand new two-year deal, which would keep him at the club until he is 33.
This may be wishful thinking for Diame though, who is surely now Rafael Benitez’s fourth choice, given the form of both Longstaff and Hayden and the pending return of Shelvey.
The Senegalese international’s engine and drive in midfield is a useful asset to have, but signing an ageing midfielder to a two-year extension when the squad is already too small would be a huge risk.
Diame should focus on forcing his way into Benitez’s plans over the next nine games, as just three starts will at least extend his stay by another campaign, and holding out for a two-year deal may just be a bridge too far.
Either way, it is extremely brave of the midfielder to put his future on the line so openly, and the ball is now entirely in the club’s court.
