N'Zogbia: In demand
TEAMtalk.com
Latest
Premier pair checking out Charles
Newcastle winger Charles N'Zogbia has revealed his agents are in talks with Aston Villa and Tottenham - although he favours a move to Arsenal.
|
|
N'Zogbia revealed at the end of last year that he was keen to head for the St James' Park exit and the 22-year-old now claims a move to Tottenham or Aston Villa this month is very much in the pipeline.
"My agents are talking with Tottenham and Aston Villa," he told L'Equipe. "I'm waiting to see what will happen.
"From what they have told me, Arsenal could also be in the frame, but there hasn't been a direct approach from them.
"Personally, I have a little preference for the Gunners but, whatever happens, they are three great and ambitious clubs. It's very flattering to see them interested in me.
"I've spoken to my bosses at the club. They know what my aims are and what I want to continue to progress.
"As soon as a big club knocks on the door with a good offer, I don't think they'll prevent me leaving.
"While waiting I'm continuing to train, without letting my head go down because I am above all a professional."
N'Zogbia joined Newcastle in 2004, with the Magpies paying a nominal sum to Le Havre for their youth team player.
But the former France Under-21 international admits the time has come for a move away from the club in order to attract the attention of Les Bleus coach Raymond Domenech.
He continued: "I've been here for four years. It's a club who have allowed me to discover the France youth team, and I thank them for that, but at some point you have to know how to aim higher.
"I am 22. It's an age where I have to be seen, especially with regards to aims that I have targeted for myself.
"I want to get into the France team as soon as possible and I feel that at Newcastle, that won't be possible.
"I'm at a turning point in my career."
However, N'Zogbia insists that whatever happens he would love to remain in England, even if Ligue 1 giants Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain come calling.
"A return to France is not unforeseeable," he explained. "But personally I have always said that my priority is to remain in England.
"It's a league which I take pleasure from and which suits me well.
"Anyway, a return to France is not relevant because none of those clubs have contacted me."
N'Zogbia admitted that it was partly seeing his friend and compatriot Lassana Diarra secure a move to Real Madrid which pushed him to take a decisive step to clinching his own transfer.
"That's exactly the case," he said. "He's a player I've grown up with in football. When I see what he has done that gives me extra desire to set myself new targets, to do everything to have the same recognition.
"It's for that reason that I feel it's the right time to leave. In a career, you need titles and yet, at Newcastle, that's not possible.
"When I see certain friends playing in the Champions League or others like Lassana or Florent Sinama-Pongolle with the France team, it makes me drool. I say to myself: 'Why not me?"'
mitchMUFC : "...Why on here is everyone so quick to establish that owen and valencia are out direct replacements for ronaldo. It's quite evident that there not and SAF knows this. It would be seemingly impossible to replace someone of r..." view full comment
Paper Talk: Villa boss wants Stew
Martin O'Neill wants to take Stewart Downing to Aston Villa and Manchester United are weighing up a move for Inter star Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
More from today's press
City move a Bridge too far for Terry
TEAMtalk looks at Manchester City's bid to sign John Terry for reported wages of £280,000 per week and feels it is only human he'd be tempted.
Read today's Column
smudger8 (Liverpool) : "...A friend of mine has it on good authority that Cesc Fabregas will be a Man Utd player next season - he's apparently disillusioned by the lack of quality signings and trophies at Arsenal! Should be an interesting summer!..." view full rumour
Related Links
Don't miss these
| LATEST PHOTOS | TT COLUMN | LIVE UPDATES |
 |
|
|
| Go to the Gallery | City move a Bridge too far for Terry | Twitter explained! |
Free Bet | Casino | Poker | Bingo
More Stories
Your Comments
jesusisageordie (Newcastle United fan)
"basiclly hes rubbish i really dnt mind if he goes cant pass for pennys and once in a blue moon puts together a good flowing move ... then wen he gets the chance to score falls on his utt and nearly fluffs t yea...amazing..."
JJ42 (Newcastle United fan)
"Please go to Spurs, you suit them. Whinging, overpaid, overpriced player taking a step backwards in your career, playing for a small club, with a small stadium, with a smaller fanbase than ours, with less financial backing and below us in the league. Hardly a fantastic club eh Charles. Villa as well, until players like Young and Agbonlahor become good enough to play for a Champions League club, they will do well. However, when they inevitably leave Villa will rightly be down to lower mid table again. And as for Arsenal, they are clearly the best and most successful club there, but really N'Zogbia is not good enough. "
Lee_Gunner (Arsenal fan)
"So basically put he wants Chamions League but will make do with the UEFA Cup."
sam gallowgate (Newcastle United fan)
"If Charles put half as much effort in on the pitch as he has trying to engineer a move away from Newcastle the past few seasons, we'd have a good player on our hands. For me, he is using the demise of Newcastle United as an excuse to why he has never really fulfilled his potential. He's got the required skills and attributes to be a decent player but he has also built a bit of a reputation as a sulker, which is why clubs like Arsenal wont touch him. He's not even out first choice left winger. At Aston Villa, he'd be behind Ashley Young in the pecking order so would be no closer to the first team there. The only side I reckon he would realistically go to is Spurs and they are welcome to him. He'll be vying fir a spot in the first team with the other 400,000 midfielders they've got on their books!
Charles N'Zogbia = Not a big deal at all. Decent but thats about it."
fatricci (Aston Villa fan)
"Sound like AVFC is second choice to him. He is not a hell of a player either. Dont bother i say. "
toonrobbybobson (Newcastle United fan)
"Good player and has been messed about for 3 years but he has one hell of an amount of baggage and a huge ego for such a young boy. Is only interested in personal glory and not much team at times. I wish him all the best and would prefer him to stay as hes way better than Duff."
Spennatova (Aston Villa fan)
"From what I've seen of him, I'm really not that fussed - especially if Villa isn't his first choice. I havent got a problem with a player having ambition, but I don't remember this guy setting the world alight at NUFC. Also with Pongolle making the national side, maybe it's a sign that France aren't the force that they used to be and is therefore easier to get into. The knock on effect looks as though players who think they might have a chance to get in actually start to think that they are better than they really are. Avoid methinks."
FHMAG13 (Newcastle United fan)
"His attitudde stinks, even if he does move on to one of the clubs mentioned it wont be long beofre he's whinging again. Get him out i say, he's one of the few players we'll get any money for!"
kayos (Aston Villa fan)
"all that is wrong in football? you do realise being a professional footballer is a career, right? and when a better position comes along, in any career, most people take it. theres nothing "wrong" with that. bitter pill to swallow as a fan but I admire his ambition (which would fit in at VP - I wonder if people realise that villa's squad is ridiculously ambitious atm). I personally think he'd be a good signing *shrug* ...besides, if and when a bigger club does come in for him, who gets the sizeable transfer fee? i cant really see a downside here."
All comments on this story