OPINION
It wasn’t too long ago that Newcastle United were really struggling for options in the centre of midfield.
With Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame injured and Ki Sung-yueng away on international duty, the Magpies were faced with a crisis that saw them turn to Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden in their time of need.
Thankfully, both have excelled in recent weeks, but that could leave manager Rafa Benitez with a real headache over what to do regarding the future of Mo Diame.
The Senegalese international is rumoured to have a clause in his contract, as referenced by the Chronicle, that means he will automatically be granted an extension on his current deal should he play 25 times this season.
He has already featured on 22 occasions and now his boss must be wondering what to do for the best.
This time two months ago he would have been a shoe in for a new deal, but now, with the sudden and unexpected influx of options at Benitez’s disposal, things don’t look as certain.
For one thing, Diame lacks some of the quality of his colleagues, and cannot compete with the likes of Shelvey or Ki when it comes to ball playing ability.
Add to that the fact that, at 31, he is the oldest of Newcastle’s midfielders, and you have to ask yourself whether he is worth a new deal, or whether the Magpies would be better letting him go to make room for an increasingly impressive reserve of midfield options.
If Rafa elects to go for the latter then it could be a very long end to the season for Diame watching from the sidelines.
