Premier League top teams didn’t want to sign me… but I feel really good about joining Crystal Palace, says Yohan Cabaye

Yohan Cabaye sealed his £12.8m move to Crystal Palace from PSG in July
France international admitted top Premier League clubs weren’t interested
He says he is happy to be reunited with his ex-Newcastle boss Alan Pardew
Cabaye suggests some players at PSG didn’t want him to sign for the club

Published:
09:23 GMT, 25 August 2015

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Updated:
09:38 GMT, 25 August 2015

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Crystal Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye has revealed none of the top Premier League sides showed an interest in him before he sealed his return to England.

The Eagles signed the France international from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain for a club record £12.8million last month, after he scored only one goal in 22 league starts for PSG since joining from Newcastle United in January 2014.

‘No one from the big clubs came forward, but it’s not a default choice, far from it,’ the 29-year-old, who has been reunited with former manager Alan Pardew at Palace, said.

Crystal Palace new boy Yohan Cabaye has revealed none of the top Premier League sides wanted to sign him

The France international sealed his £12.8million move, becoming the club’s record signing, in the summer

‘I have been reunited with my former coach and I was not heading into the unknown. I feel really good,’ he added.

Then-Newcastle manager Pardew brought Cabaye to the Premier League in 2011 after signing him from Lille for £4.8million.

Newcastle sold the midfielder to PSG for £19m, but Cabaye failed to settle after making the move back to France.

‘It didn’t go as I wanted in Paris, but I have no hard feelings towards anyone,’ added Cabaye.

‘It’s hard when you know you’re in a team where you’re going to try things and, in the end, when you try them, sometimes you pull them off and sometimes not,’ he added.

Cabaye has been reunited with his former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew at Crystal Palace

‘I know that when I arrived, perhaps there were certain players that didn’t want me to come.

‘As soon as there was a ball lost, an interception missed or not the right pass, people would shout, would look at you strangely,’ the midfielder said.

‘Perhaps I lacked a little insouciance in my play. Perhaps I asked myself too many questions. That’s why I don’t want to hide behind injuries and excuses. Yes, I think there wasn’t enough “Yohan” in my game.’