When asked about Tiote making move Pardew said: “There were a couple of derisory offers, way short of our valuation and therefore we’ve not really entertained any serious thought of him leaving.”
Tiote is a big favourite of his manager who believes he wants to stay. But past experiences have taught him not to take anything for granted.
“I’m as confident as I can be with any player that he will stay,” said Pardew, who nevertheless admitted he had a contingency plan in place should his optimism prove misplaced and a mega-bucks bid is tabled.
“That’s one of the benefits of having been here for four years – I’ve got the Andy Carroll experience.
“I never think you can be safe with a player if you’re not in the Champions League.
“You’ve got to be on your toes at all times because I’ve seen some inflated prices this week and that’s worrying with nine days to go.”
Tiote won’t be fit for tomorrow’s trip to Aston Villa but Pardew sees nothing in his demeanour to suggest he wants away.
“The injury has heaped speculation on him but he’s genuinely injured and will be back on the training ground next week,” he added.
“I’m a big fan of Cheick. I love the way he plays and the passion he plays with and the players we’ve got around him this year will highlight his game a little bit more.”
Written by Steve Milne
