Yohan Cabaye of Newcastle United
Yohan Cabaye of Newcastle United in 2012
Yohan Cabaye admits the only negative about his Newcastle United career came when he was denied the chance to join Arsenal in 2013. The French midfielder was a key man in Alan Pardew's side as they almost sealed a Champions League place in 2012.
However, while he remains a fan favourite more than a decade on, things almost went sour when he went 'on strike; after being refused a move to the Gunners under his Arsene Wenger. Cabaye refused to play in the opening game against Manchester City to protest Newcastle's refusal to coinsider an offer from Arsenal.
"When Arsenal bid for me, it was flattering for sure, and then the bid got turned down," he told listofsweepstakescasinos.com. "There was a little bit of sadness and frustration, for sure. At first, I didn’t understand why Newcastle didn’t want to sit and talk about the deal, but after it passed, I just left my frustration behind.
"I went back to work and gave my best for the club. It was their decision and I had to respect it, but at first it wasn’t easy. There wasn’t another Premier League side I’d wanted to play for apart from Arsenal. Arsene Wenger is one of the best managers in football history. I had the chance to speak to him a couple of times, and he’s always inspiring. I’m glad that he’s French! His vision and knowledge is priceless."
Cabaye was more forthright in a interview with ChronicleLive in 2021, saying he felt 'betrayed' by the club at the time.. He has been back to St James' Park since, with Crystal Palace and then as part of the PSG hierarchy for the Champions League game in 2023, and was a guest at the Wembley Boxpark before the Carabao Cup win.
"When I signed for Newcastle the word from them was 'You play for us, if you're doing well and you have the opportunity to go somewhere else we will sit around the table and talk'. I said 'OK'," he said in an interview with ChronicleLive in 2021. "But the thing is when someone put in a bid for me, they just said 'No'. I was feeling betrayed by them so that's why I said 'Come on, I have given my best every day and have respected the club but the respect is not there for me'. That's why I was upset.
"Looking back now, I know that saying 'I don't want to play' is not good behaviour. If I could go back in time and change it, I wouldn't do it again. But everyone has to understand that for me, your word should be your word.
"For me it was a lie they had told me, a lie. I was betrayed and that's the only way I could think to show them that I wasn't happy about it. That's the only negative point of my time at Newcastle."
Cabaye eventually left United for Paris Saint-German in 2014, before moving back to the Premier League with Crystal Palace after two seasons in France. After a season with Al-Nasr in Saudi Arabia, he retired in 2020 following a move to Saint Etienne.