Kinnear baffled by N'Zogbia statement

Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear claims he was surprised when Charles N'Zogbia accused the manager of insulting him on Thursday night.

The 22-year-old Frenchman issued a statement, claiming the Magpies manager had insulted him by mis-pronouncing his name several times during an interview and he insists he will never play for Kinnear again as a result.

However, Kinnear hit back saying: "I couldn't believe it when I was told Charles had issued a statement claiming he was insulted, apparently for nothing more than me mis-pronouncing his name in a post-match interview at Manchester City."

He added: "Okay, I got a little tongue-tied - but if I had a pound for every time I've mis-pronounced a player's name down the years, then I'd be a very wealthy man indeed.

"There have already been plenty of quotes attributed to Charles during January, saying he is interested in leaving for other clubs. But the truth is we haven't received a formal offer for him.

"Sadly, this just smacks of a desperate attempt to engineer a move away from Newcastle United - a club that gave Charles the chance to play in the Premier League and which has rewarded him handsomely during his time at St James' Park."

In his statement, issued to Sky Sports News, N'Zogbia said: "First of all, I wish to apologise to the fans for wanting to leave the club.

"However, having been insulted by Joe Kinnear, I will never play for him again while he remains Newcastle manager."

The former Le Havre player and his representatives have been actively trying to secure his exit from St James' Park for some time, and have stepped up their efforts during the current transfer window - which closes at 5pm next Monday.

Tottenham, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Wigan and Lyon are among the clubs which have been credited with an interest in him in recent weeks.