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da marjack bet： Mo Diame was a key player in Newcastle’s survival bid last season but a recent report hints he will depart in the summer window.
What’s the word?
Diame’s contract is due to expire in June 2019, but a surprising recent report from The Chronicle suggests that his future hinges on Rafa Benitez’s selection policy.
The report claims that Diame will trigger an automatic one-year extension clause in his contract if he starts three more times this season.
The 31-year-old, who has started 21 Premier League matches this season, is hoping to secure a two year deal rather than a short-term extension, and it seems that he will need to pursue that particular interest away from Tyneside if Benitez’s decision-making against Everton is anything to go by.
Rafa Benitez’s selection policy is key
Benitez hasn’t included the Senegalese midfielder in his starting XI since his side lost 2-0 at home to Manchester United at the start of 2019.
Sean Longstaff’s emergence and Isaac Hayden’s surprisingly consistent form in the heart of midfield have left him sidelined and, with Ki Sung-yueng and Jonjo Shelvey back in contention for first-team selection, Benitez has plenty of options to consider even with Longstaff’s recent injury setback.
That the Spaniard opted to start Ki alongside Hayden against Everton was telling: Diame is no longer a key player and he is relatively disposable as he moves towards his 32nd birthday.
With an acute awareness of the clause in Diame’s contract playing on his mind, it seems that Benitez’s decision to restore Ki was symptomatic of his desire to let the former Hull City man’s contract expire in the summer.