‘I want’ - Newcastle United ace reveals future plans amid contract uncertainty
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Emil Krafth has confirmed he is fully focussed on a new season with Newcastle United as he enters the final year of his current deal with the club.
The Swedish international signed a one-year extension to his Newcastle United deal back in February, a move that would prove hugely important just weeks later when both Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman suffered ACL injuries. Although Krafth has committed his short-term future to the club, there is not a lot of certainty surrounding players with less than 12 months left on their current deal with the defender being free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs come January.
Despite this possibility, Krafth has reiterated his future to Newcastle United, saying: “I want to stay. As I've said all the time, I'm enjoying being in Newcastle and to be a part of this team and everything.
“Both me and my family enjoy being here, playing football and the lifestyle, so yeah, we enjoy it very much, so I will work as hard as I can to make it happen.”
Krafth joined the Magpies under Steve Bruce back in 2019 but has not been a regular during his time on Tyneside, despite playing key roles at times to cover for his injured colleagues.
Krafth ended the season playing at centre-back following injuries to Lascelles and Botman. He also played a key role during the last few months of the 2021/22 season at right-back after Kieran Trippier broke his foot and was sidelined towards the end of that season.
He has spent this pre-season playing in the middle of defence again alongside Burn and played the full game against Girona on Friday night - a match the Magpies would triumph 4-0 in. His versatility has been a huge asset for Eddie Howe in recent seasons and Krafth has revealed he is becoming more ‘comfortable’ playing as a centre-back, despite being a right-back by trade: “I've been playing right-back all my life, so I would say I'm more comfortable in that position,” Krafth admitted.
“But I think now from last season and this pre-season I've been playing more and more centre-half and getting more comfortable with it, so I think I can play both really well, so it's up to the gaffer to choose wherever he wants me to play.”