Gini Wijnaldum will let Newcastle United decide his future

Georginio Wijnaldum will NOT demand a move from relegated Newcastle United.
Newcastle United's Georginio Wijnaldum (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 15, 2016. See PA story SOCCER Newcastle. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.Newcastle United's Georginio Wijnaldum (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 15, 2016. See PA story SOCCER Newcastle. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
Newcastle United's Georginio Wijnaldum (right) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the Barclays Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Sunday May 15, 2016. See PA story SOCCER Newcastle. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

Wijnaldum has been tipped for a summer exit from St James’s Park.

But the midfielder will not attempt to force a move away from Tyneside.

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The 25-year-old, waiting to see if Rafa Benitez will stay on at the club, will instead leave a decision on his future to the club.

Wijnaldum – who ended the season as United’s top scorer with 11 goals – wouldn’t be drawn publicly on his future after the season-ending 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

“I don’t know,” said Wijnaldum, signed from Dutch title-winners PSV Eindhoven last summer for £14.5million.

“We will see. I’m still devastated that we will be relegated.

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“To be fair, I don’t think about the future now. We will see where the future brings us.”

Wijnaldum – who laid bare his frustrations with the lack of teamwork at Newcastle last month – wants Benitez to stay at Newcastle to manage the club in the Championship.

Benitez has had talks with owner Mike Ashley and managing director Lee Charnley since the end of the season.

And the 56-year-old is expected to make a decision on his future next week.

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Wijnaldum has also revealed why he did NOT celebrate the strikes which ended a four-month goal drought.

Wijnaldum netted twice in Newcastle United’s season-ending 5-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

And the midfielder ended the campaign as the relegated club’s leading scorer with 11 goals.

But Wijnaldum – who hadn’t scored since January – wasn’t in any mood to celebrate last Sunday given that Newcastle had been relegated from the Premier League four days earlier.

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And, unlike his fellow goalscorers, Wijnaldum didn’t celebrate after finding the net.

“I’m sad that we’re relegated, and that’s why I didn’t celebrate my goals,” said Wijnaldum.

“It’s a strange feeling when you’re relegated, but win 5-1.”

United were unbeaten for their last six games, but the improvement under manager Rafa Benitez – who Wijnaldum hopes will stay at the club – came too late the club from relegation .

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And the 25-year-old admits it was a “strange” afternoon against Tottenham.

“The atmosphere was good,” said the Holland international, who won Dutch league title with PSV Eindhoven before moving to United last year.

“It was strange, as we know that next season we’re not going to be in the Premier League any more.

“It was a strange feeling. We were unbeaten for six games.

“If we had done that before, we would have had a better chance to survive.

“We were not stable as a team and we lost too many games.

“I think that’s why we were relegated.”

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Wijnaldum’s form came under close scrutiny during the second half of the season .

The £14.5million signing hit the ground running in the first few months of his Newcastle career – he memorably netted four times against Norwich City – but his goals dried up after his strike against West Ham United in mid-January.

All of Wijnaldum’s goals came at St James’s Park.

However, he still scored more goals than any other player, including nine-goal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

“I think in a few matches I didn’t have any luck, but it was good for me that it went in (against Tottenham),” said Wijnaldum.