After beating Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal keep the heat on the Man Utd and Chelsea in this season’s race for the Premiership title. Click here for the Premiership – Outright 2006/2007.

Albert Luque says that if he leaves Newcastle it will only be to return to Spain, and the former Deportivo La Coruna forward has set his sights on a move to Barcelona.

The 28-year-old does not appear to be in the first-team plans of manager Glenn Roeder and admits he is now pondering a return to La Liga.

“Time is passing in England and I’m still not playing as much as I would like,” he told Radio Marca. “For that reason I’m not ruling out returning to Spain.

“As soon as I arrived I was injured for five months and since then the coach has not given me three consecutive games. If things continue as they are I would like to leave, but in the meantime I will just have to work hard.

“My priority is to return to Spain,” he continued. “I had the chance to leave England for Greece or France, but if I leave England it will only be for Spain.”

Before his move to Newcastle in 2005, Luque was a regular in the Spanish national side but since arrivinmg on Tyneside, a combination of injuries and loss of form have seen him cut an isolated figure.

With Barca currently short of forwards following injuries to Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi, there is talk of the club buying a striker in January, and with that in mind, Luque was happy to put himself in the shop window.

“Barca is a big club and it would be a pleasure to return to Spain. I was brought up in Barcelona and as a Catalan I have always been fond of Barca,” Luque added.

“Two years ago I was close to signing, but in the end I went to Newcastle. The following year there was more talk, but nobody approached me directly. Now the matter has come up again.

“If Barca do have an interest in me, it would be an honour for such a big club to be checking on me, but I don’t know anything.

“It’s Barca who have to decide and sort something out with Newcastle – it doesn’t depend on me.”

After beating Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal keep the heat on the Man Utd and Chelsea in this season’s race for the Premiership title. Click here for the Premiership – Outright 2006/2007.