Ever since Newcastle were relegated to the Championship, questions have been asked about what could happen to some of the more expensive players in the squad.
Andros Townsend looks set to go to Crystal Palace, Georginio Wijnaldum is a target for Serie A clubs, and Florian Thauvin is unlikely to be hanging around either.
Regarding the latter, it would appear a few options are currently at his disposal, including a possible stay at Marseille next season in another loan deal.
The player, interviewed by La Provence on Tuesday, addressed the speculation and explained exactly what the situation is regarding his future at this moment in time.
He said: “My agent has had discussions with Newcastle and is still doing so. Newcastle have always been professional with me. It’s a legendary club in England who didn’t deserve to go down. I felt for my teammates and the fans after they got relegated.
“That was hard for me. I know what I want. We’re continuing talks with the club, but that stays between us. I respect Newcastle and those in charge too much to publicly discuss the situation.”
With rumours about Marcelo Bielsa wanting a reunion with him at Lazio, or even interest from Inter Milan and Valencia, it’s Marseille’s interest in a renewed loan that seems to have caught the player’s attention.
He said: “I know OM are thinking about it. As I’ve always said, Marseille will always mean something to me. Of course, you can’t ignore their interest. It’s up to Marseille or Newcastle to communicate on the matter. My agent is in talks with many clubs, but it’s not up to me to say something. For now, I’m a Newcastle player.”
So let us get this straight: Thauvin cannot talk about what’s going on out of respect for Newcastle, but he still mentions his agent being in talks with other clubs and that he’s a Newcastle player ‘for now’?
Subtle, Florian. Real subtle.
