The 25-year-old appears to have little chance of a future at Chelsea but will Newcastle United make his loan deal permanent?
On loan Newcastle United winger Christian Atsu has admitted to the Shields Gazette that he does not envisage the possibility of returning to Chelsea at the end of the season.
The Ghanaian international, fresh from suffering heartbreak in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, is halfway through a fifth loan spell since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Porto in 2013.
And after making just five Premier League appearances combined for both Everton and Bournemouth, Atsu has made more of an impact on Tyneside despite being restricted to just six Championship starts by Rafael Benitez.
As it stands, however, his future remains up in the air at the remainder of the season with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte preferring a wing-back system – a style that appears to leave Atsu – an orthodox, old-school wide man – out in the cold.
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“It is difficult for me and Chelsea,” Atsu told the Shields Gazette. “You can see the kind of wingers they have. I have to keep working hard.
“I spoke with Conte. He is a good manager, very serious in his work. I need to keep fighting for Newcastle and do well here.”
Although far from a regular starter, the 25-year-old appears a much better fit for Benitez’s side even if it remains to be seen whether the Spaniard would be tempted to turn Atsu’s temporary deal into a permanent transfer.
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Newcastle’s high-profile chase of Andros Townsend in January suggested that Benitez was on the market for an upgrade at left wing; a factor that does not exactly bode well for the nomadic former Porto prodigy.
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