Influx of French players at Newcastle is just a fad, says Valbuena's agent

10 Jan 2013 3:45:00 PM

The 28-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a switch to the top flight over the course of the past year, but his representative has seemingly ruled out a move to St James' Park

The agent of Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena feels the strong French influence at Newcastle in recent years is little more than a "fad".

With the Magpies strongly linked with a move for Valbuena's club and international team-mate Loic Remy during the January transfer window, as a replacement for the departed Demba Ba, the Premier League outfit have already clinched the signing of France's first-choice right-back Mathieu Debuchy this month.

And, despite Alan Pardew's squad already boasts the presence of six Frenchman - Debuchy, Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Gabriel Obertan, Sylvain Marveaux and Romain Amalfitano - Valbuena's agent Christophe Hutteau stated earlier last week that Valbuena would only consider a move to "one of the two Manchester clubs”, he seemed to rule out Newcastle altogether yet again.

"He wouldn't go. You don't leave Marseille to go and play for Newcastle," Christophe Hutteau told French radio station RMC.

"It's just a fad. There was Arsenal, today it's Newcastle, tomorrow it'll be Liverpool or Chelsea."

Marseille are currently sit third in the Ligue 1 table, level on points with both Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain, in what promises to be a closely contested title race with only goal difference separating the three sides.