by Dave Knapper
dave.knapper@thesentinel.co.uk

SEYI Olofinjana has admitted he would love to see his Nigeria team-mate Obafemi Martins join him at Stoke.

The Newcastle United star looks set for a move from St James's Park after the club's relegation to the Championship with the Potters reportedly among his suitors.

And should Stoke see off competition from a string of rivals for the 24-year-old striker's signature, Olofinjana says he would welcome the capture.

He told Goal.com: "I have also read that Stoke are interested in Martins.

"He is a very good striker who would certainly improve our attack. I hope he joins us."

Martins arrived in England in August 2006, after Newcastle shelled out a reported £10 million to bring him from Inter Milan.

Despite his time in the North East being hampered by injury and managerial changes, the forward still weighed in with 35 goals.

Media reports have suggested a fee of around £6.5 million is being muted by the clubs involved in the chase for Martins.

Meanwhile, Olofinjana has shown no sour grapes after losing his first-team place in the latter stages of the season.

The summer signing from Wolverhampton Wanderers made 14 Premier League starts for City, the last of which in the 2-1 defeat at West Ham on December 28.

He said: "I believe I did well in the first few matches in the Premier League, scoring two goals against Arsenal and Everton. It wasn’t that bad a season for me.

"I struggled with injury for a long time and by the time I regained full fitness, I found myself fighting to return to a team doing well at that time.

"The manager was comfortable with the team - you do not change a winning team. They were a lot more defensive and that approach helped us to remain in the top flight."