Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has hit out at Arsenal following their bid for midfielder Yohan Cabaye labelling it “disrespectful”.
The Gunners are understood to have had a £10 million bid for the France international rejected on Monday, part of a triple transfer swoop that also includes moves for Geoffrey Kondogbia and Atsuto Uchida.
However, Pardew was angered by the timing of the bid, coming as his side were preparing for their opening Premier League clash with Manchester City.
Cabaye was expected to play in the game and travelled to Manchester, before subsequently going home and being left out of the squad, which Pardew felt had an impact on his team's performance as they succumbed to a 4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
“We’ve prepared for three days with the lad [Cabaye], and then to have his head turned by this bid from Arsenal, on the eve of the game, is just disrespectful,” Pardew toldSky Sports after the game.
“Why they couldn’t wait I don’t know. I don’t think the result would have been the same.”
Newcastle were also forced to play over half of the game with 10 men following Steven Taylor’s sending off and Pardew admitted he had deserved his red card.
“I just thought it was a silly action I can’t really defend him if I’m honest,” he said.
“I know he’s a proper fellow and he wouldn’t mean to be malicious and I can’t give you a better answer than that.”
Despite the emphatic defeat Pardew insisted he was not too worried by his side's performance but warned his team would need to improve for Saturday's home game against West Ham.
“I don’t think we have too much to be concerned about tonight, in terms of the team we have to put a team out that’s a lot more offensive [against West Ham],” he added.
“I feel this is one of 38 games so it's important that we try and win the two home games we have coming up.”
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