Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear has described reports of his key players leaving as “laughable” and “absolute nonsense”, but N’Zogbia has become unsettled by events in his four-and-a-half-year spell in the north-east and appears keen to leave.

He told www.lyoncapitale.fr: “There have been some changes at Newcastle recently. I have experienced six different managers in four years, and it is too much.

“Every season is getting worse and worse despite the lofty goals of the club. I therefore decided to leave, to try to find better exposure.”

However, N’Zogbia – who has a contract with the Magpies until 2012 – knows his future is out of his hands.

“It is for the club to decide,” he added in L’Equipe. “If Newcastle decide to keep me, I will stay. I will have no choice.”

The Tyneside outfit have insisted he is going nowhere and N’Zogbia, for his part, claims he has so far heard nothing to suggest otherwise – despite being linked with French champions Lyon.

“I am waiting,” he said. “They (Lyon) may actually have contacted my agent, but I did not get feedback.

“What is certain is that Lyon is a good club. Whether they really want me remains to be seen.”