Joe Kinnear was refusing last night to face up to the truth that Shay Given, the long-serving Newcastle United goalkeeper, wants to leave Tyneside as the manager risked embarrassment and the prospect of driving the Ireland No 1 out of the club.

Given, 32, who has been at Newcastle for 11½ years, is expected to start this afternoon's FA Cup third-round tie away to Hull City despite sanctioning a statement this week from his lawyer, Michael Kennedy, which described his unhappiness with the perilous state of affairs on and off the pitch at St James' Park.

But in a bizarre outburst, Kinnear claimed that Given had told him yesterday morning that he wanted to remain at Newcastle and accused Kennedy of releasing the statement without his client's approval. Manchester City are understood to have made known their interest in Given and hope to secure an £8 million deal for him during the transfer window, but they are likely to face competition from Tottenham Hotspur.

Given and Kennedy have had a close working relationship for years and the player is understood to have agonised for weeks over the release of a statement detailing his discontent, with the 5-1 Barclays Premier League defeat by Liverpool on Sunday the final straw. Significantly, the pair have no plans to sever ties. Given is unlikely to take kindly to Kinnear's suggestion that Kennedy has acted improperly or that he told the manager that he wanted to stay at the club.

Kinnear said that he and Given discussed the future over a cup of coffee for half an hour at Newcastle's training ground yesterday morning. At the same time, the manager said that Kennedy was contacted by telephone to explain his version of events that led to the publication of a series of quotes reflecting the goalkeeper's “despondency” and need to “consider his position in the light of the interest being expressed in him by Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham”.

Kinnear said: “We actually rung the guy who made the statement and asked him why he put it out. He said he was aware that these clubs were interested in Shay. He told me that is what he read in the papers and he acted accordingly.

“You presume the statement was sanctioned by Shay. But I am quite happy with what Shay told me. I have not got an unhappy player on my hands. He was very happy before training and there was no problem at all.

“I am not misreading the situation, not at all. I'm quite happy with what has gone on. Shay will be on the team bus and play at Hull. As far as selecting my goalkeepers is concerned I have gone for the better one of the two, which is Shay.”

Kinnear went on to insist that Given will be a Newcastle United player when the transfer window closes on February 2. Contracted to the club until 2011, he is a firm favourite with supporters. Indeed, a mutual respect between the Tyneside public and an individual they regard as one of their own means that few would begrudge Given the opportunity to break his contract should a better opportunity present itself.

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, voiced his admiration for Given before adding that he is not in the market for a goalkeeper. Whether Given would view Tottenham or Manchester City as a step forward is not known, but Kinnear added: “There have been no bids for him to my knowledge. “Why should we jeopardise our chances of staying in the Premier League by selling one of our best goalkeepers?

“Shay probably is frustrated. It's not the first time he's been linked with a move away. He made a statement the week before saying he didn't want to leave. Things change in football.”