Arsenal and Liverpool Alerted as Yohan Cabaye Hints at Newcastle Exit

Newcastle United may have thought the worst of their worries were behind them when it comes to the topic of Yohan Cabaye leaving the club, but there could be tougher times ahead, the Frenchman has indicated.

Speaking to French radio station RTL (h/t Charles Perrin of the Express), Alan Pardew's star playmaker hinted that he's committed to the Magpies for now, but his yearning for Champions League football could lead to his departure:

"I miss the Champions League," Cabaye said. "I'll finish this season with Newcastle and concentrate on the coming months and then we'll see."

Over the summer, Cabaye became very closely linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, but it was reported by the Metro's James Boylan at the time that club owner Mike Ashley had blocked the dream move.

If recent reports are anything to go by, however, it seems Cabaye still hasn't given up on his hopes of securing Champions League football, even if it means a move away from St. James' Park.

Both Arsenal and Liverpool have reason to be considering their central options ahead of the summer with each side carrying their share of ageing assets.

Steven Gerrard is entering the latter stages of his Anfield career while Arsene Wenger is contending with veteran figures in the shape of Mathieu Flamini, Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky.

However, Wenger has a lot of potential in his engine room, players such as Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere holding a great deal of promise.

On the other hand, Brendan Rodgers doesn't have quite the same security in Lucas, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson, meaning a move for Cabaye may be more necessary on his part.

Cabaye arrived in the North East two years ago on the back of a triumphant 2010/11 Ligue 1 campaign with Lille, one of numerous big stars who chose to leave the club that summer.

Since then, the midfielder has gone on to make 70 Premier League appearances, scoring 12 goals and making 13 assists, per Transfermarkt.co.uk.

While both Premier League giants have raised interest and certainly seem on target for a top-four finish, there's a long way to run in the campaign and Cabaye won't want to pin his Champions League hopes on a club who don't actually make it to the promised land.

Newcastle fans won't be pleased to hear that one of their star players could be heading for the exit in 2014, but at least they know what needs to happen in order for the star to consider sticking around.