ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC believes Newcastle United want him to stay at St James’ Park beyond this week’s transfer deadline, despite knowing clubs from across Europe are trying to sign him.

The Magpies’ striker has seen his value to the club increase over the last week because he has worked himself ahead of Dwight Gayle in the pecking order – and he vindicated that decision by coming off the bench to score in the 3-0 win over West Ham United on Saturday.

Gayle’s future is up in the air because Rafael Benitez has become frustrated with the former Crystal Palace striker’s performances, and it is understood Newcastle are even willing to listen to offers for last season’s top scorer.

Newcastle are looking to move players on this week – preferably fringe players – so that Benitez can make his own signings, with Independiente left-back Nicolas Tagliafico on the radar.

If Gayle, who was not even a substitute against the Hammers, was sold then that would leave Benitez with just Mitrovic and Joselu as his only out and out front-men.

Benitez still hopes to bring in an extra forward too.

And Mitrovic has revealed there are still clubs interested in signing him before the window closes at 11pm on Thursday.

He said: “I’m not worried. In my head, I am here. I have a lot of options in this transfer window, many from the top five leagues. I have two teams from the top five leagues, but they (Newcastle) decide that I need to stay here. I agree with them. I am here, my head is here and every game I try to give my best to win games.”

When asked if he was definitely staying, Mitrovic responded with “at the moment, yes.”

But he is also clearly frustrated by spending most of his time on the bench and he is eager to prove that he deserves to be the main striker at St James’ Park.

Mitrovic, who also scored in the Carabao Cup against Nottingham Forest, said: “I don’t know how to explain. 

"There are a lot of people who don’t trust in me, so I just try to make them wrong. That is everything. But, yes, it is a nice feeling to score twice in a week. The feeling is always nice when you score, but it is much better when you win. 

“I don’t know (why they don’t trust), I’m not the gaffer. That’s not my job. My job is to score goals. I played 20 minutes here and my job is to give everything in every game and to try to deserve more minutes on the pitch. That’s all I can do.”

Mitrovic arrived from Anderlecht in the summer of 2015 and stayed around after relegation mainly because Newcastle could not recoup the £14.5m they bought him for.

Having played a part in the promotion campaign, although spent most of it on the periphery, he would love to show he can succeed in the Premier League.

The 22-year-old said: “I have unfinished business in the Premier League. I have a mission to show people in England, and I will show them. 
"I am going away with the international team now and we have two really important games. We have four games left and we have two games now. I hope we can win them and be at the World Cup.”

When Mitrovic returns – provided he is still at Newcastle – he will hope to have avoided a suspension.

The Football Association could look to take retrospective action for his alleged elbow on West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini and that could carry a three-match ban.

Referee Neil Swarbrick missed the incident but it has since been highlighted by Match of the Day and that could harm his chances of avoiding any action.

He was not talking about the incident afterwards and all Mitrovic wants to focus on is the football. 

He said: “It’s really hard. You have to stay strong in your head, just to carry on. In the end, if you do everything well and work hard everything will work out fine. 

“It was an amazing result, to beat West Ham like we did, and we played really well. And we did everything that Rafa wanted from us. I think it will be a nice evening for everybody in Newcastle.”

The victory over West Ham highlighted that Newcastle do have players capable of delivering results this season, but Benitez has not changed his views from before the game.

He has made it clear to everyone that more signings are required if Newcastle are to stand a greater chance of avoiding a relegation tussle this season, and watching his team brush West Ham aside has not altered his view.

Benitez said: “I don’t think it makes a difference. We have an idea of what we need and what we want. We have some names and we have some targets and we are trying to do that business. 

“It doesn’t change the situation too much. Maybe any club will have a player available that you are not expecting to come onto the market. At the moment we know what we need and what we can get but it won’t change too much.”

A number of Championship clubs are known to be keeping an eye on Gayle’s situation, meanwhile, although Newcastle would be looking to bring back in the sort of £10m fee they paid Crystal Palace for him last summer.

When asked why Gayle wasn’t involved against West Ham, Benitez said: “He wasn’t on the bench because Mitrovic has been doing well and training well. We had two strikers who played and they both scored."