Newcastle flop admits he may leave club

The Dutch playmaker has suffered a torried time on Tyneside since his £6million move from Ajax two years ago.

The attacker has struggled with injuries, form and fitness and has made just four Premier League starts.

With Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship, the club will be looking to trim their wage bill and De Jong – who barely featured under Rafa Benitez as the club battled against the drop – could be shipped out.

And the 27-year-old admits he needs to be playing regularly again.

De Jong told Fox Sports: “I want to play again, get into a rhythm.

“It will not be easy for me. I hope for a good solution.

“I think about everything.

“If the club says I may be sold or rented out, I look at all the possibilities.”

De Jong has been linked with a return to his old club Ajax, who he skippered to the Eredivisie title, but he says he would rather explore other possibilities first.

He added: “I’d rather not return to Holland just yet, although Ajax is always an option.”

De Jong featured just four times under Benitez, all from the bench.

He was an 89th-minute substitute in the 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, despite Newcastle being in desperate need of a goal, though Benitez did praise him after the 1-1 draw with Sunderland when De Jong’s arrival as a second-half substitute helped the Magpies earn a point.