Newcastle star went on strike to try and force through Arsenal move after bid was made

A Newcastle star famously went on strike to try and force a transfer to the Emirates Stadium

Former Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye once went on strike in order to engineer a move to Arsenal.

The summer of 2013 saw the Gunners sniffing around St James' Park, where they tabled a £10million bid for the French international. The offer came just as the Magpies were preparing to kick off their Premier League campaign against Manchester City, and it immediately captured Cabaye's imagination.

In order to force a transfer, Cabaye took the step of making himself unavailable for that opening-day fixture, effectively going on strike and giving manager Alan Pardew little choice but to leave him out of the matchday squad. Newcastle's board, meanwhile, were having none of it as they flatly refused to entertain the move and made their position clear.

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With the door firmly shut by his employers, Cabaye’s dream Arsenal transfer collapsed. The midfielder was left to dust himself down, swallow his pride and refocus on his responsibilities on Tyneside, before sealing his big move to Paris Saint-Germain the following January.

He later admitted the manner in which he had conducted himself was something he came to regret. The failed transfer now carries relevance in the context of Arsenal's ongoing pursuit of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes, who is understood to have agreed personal terms with the English champions but is yet to force a departure.

Cabaye told FourFourTwo: "The deal (when I signed for Newcastle) was 'OK, you come and we'll see how you adapt. The English market can be quick, and if there's something, we'll sit and have a chat'.

"So, OK, that's fine. It was the first time I was leaving a club, moving from Lille to Newcastle, so I didn't know about transfers. The fact is, the first season was really good, and after that there was Euro 2012, of course, which went well for me.

"Then there was Arsenal's interest, and what I didn't understand was that the club closed the door on it – they didn't want to have a discussion. I asked why, and the answer failed to convince me. I asked them to speak (with Arsenal) and try to come up with a better solution. If there's no solution, I can understand that, and I'm happy at Newcastle.

"But I wanted to play for a club with that standard, with all due respect to Newcastle. In the end, they didn't want to, and that's life. That was their choice."

"It (going on strike) was a way to express my disagreement – but today, of course, I can say that it wasn't the right way," added Cabaye. "After that, I think I showed to everyone that I was fully committed to Newcastle, 100%, and there weren't any problems at all."

Reports have emerged claiming that, 13 years on, Arsenal are readying an official bid of £70m for Magpies midfielder Guimaraes. Such a bid is thought to kickstart official discussions despite an expectation this will be rejected.

The Chronicle reports, however, that the Gunners are yet to make any contact with Newcastle or submit a formal bid for the Brazilian. And the delay in Arsenal tabling a formal opening bid is understood to be causing frustration among Newcastle officials, who are anxious to avoid their talisman becoming unsettled ahead of the new campaign.

It is complicated, with the player unwilling to push and reportedly keen not to follow the same path as Cabaye and former team-mate Alexander Isak, who went on strike to get his move. The 28-year-old, who remains under contract for at least two further years, is expected to report for pre-season training at the beginning of next month for the club's La Manga training camp.

Just 12 months ago, Isak staged a one-man protest and refused to board a flight bound for the Far East ahead of the club's tour of Singapore and South Korea. Isak infuriated manager Eddie Howe by going AWOL to train independently in Spain and never played for Newcastle again, ultimately engineering a move to Liverpool for £125million.

Should Guimaraes look to force a transfer too, Newcastle are expected to drive a hard bargain and hold firm for a figure closer to £100m.