"I will stay, 100%" - Newcastle player rules out summer exit despite recent exit rumours

Emil Krafth has revealed that he is eager to remain at St James' Park this summer - insisting that he's '100%" sure he'll be sticking around.

Just a few months ago, The Mail reported that the right-back had agreed a £2.7m move to İstanbul Başakşehir - only for Steve Bruce to pull the plug the deal at the 11th hour.

Since then, the 26-year-old has started 11 of our last 16 Premier League games, scoring in an end-of-season defeat to Man City and playing a bit-part role at Euro 2020 on Sweden's run to the knockout stages.

Here's what he's had to say when speaking to Fotbollskanalen about his future on Tyneside:

“I assume that I will stay.

"I have two years left on my contract.

"As it looks now, I will stay, 100 percent. 

"You know that things can happen overnight when it comes to football, but I thrive very well in the club and the city.

"I really want to stay,” 

The former Amiens full-back then had this to say about the recent formation change that saw him operate on the right-hand side of a back three:

“I feel like things have gone better and better. We’ve changed the game system and it may not have suited me like a glove,”

“I am a right-back in a back four, but at the beginning when I came to Newcastle I played as a wingback, with three at the back. I’m not the winger who challenges my opponent that way but I drive more on overlaps and want to get to the posts.

“It did not fit me like a glove, even though I played a lot when I arrived. But in the end, I played as one of three midfielders in a five-man defence and it becomes more of a full-back role, it feels a bit more like my position.

“I may not go as offensive as I did in a back four, but there are still opportunities to step up.”

Krafth is a limited footballer and someone who should be no more than a squad player, however he does give his all and didn't let us down when asked to fill in over the final few weeks of 2020/21.

Personally, I prefer Manquillo and feel he's a better right-back when we switch to a four-man defence, but it seems Krafth is ahead of the Spaniard at present and likely to stay this summer.

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