Ba: "I am looking forward to next season with Newcastle"

Ba says not to listen to the press Demba Ba has issued his strongest statement yet regarding his future and insists he is happy to stay at Newcastle United.

Most of the close season has been dominated with rumours regarding the future of the striker, especially as it emerged that the release clause in his his contract only runs until the end of July, allegedly.

However Ba has called foul play and claims that the press have just been trying to find a story where one doesn't exist. He has urged fans to read his words for what they are and to not read anything else into them despite what slant the media try to put on it.

“I don’t care what is being said. I think is part of the game,” Ba told The Journal. “However, I have never said anything other than I love being at Newcastle."

“If they hear something from me about my future, that is the truth. Otherwise everything that is said is not true. The newspapers and I are not very friendly at the moment. For months and months and months people have been talking about me but there is nothing happening."

“Of course, I am looking forward to next season with Newcastle. We just have to build on the progress we made last season. For me, I just can’t wait to start the first game.”

It's true that Ba has never said that he wants to leave Newcastle, but equally he's also been coy about his future and has, until now anyway, remained cautiously silent when asked about his future, only giving vague statements such as "I'm still a Newcastle player at the moment" and things like that, which in fairness do nothing to quell rumours.

Anyway as we've seen before, words mean little in the word of a footballer so I remain to be convinced that he will remain a Newcastle player beyond September, although the good news seems to be that Ba is at least happy here.

Do you feel any happier over the future of Ba after these comments?