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Citroen's Kris Meeke visits Hyundai WRC factory amid 2016 rumours

Kris Meeke visited the Hyundai Motorsport factory in Frankfurt last month, amid suggestions the Citroen driver could swap World Rally Championship seats with Thierry Neuville in 2016

Meeke's current deal expires at the end of this year, while Hyundai maintains it has Neuville under contract for next season.

Sources close to Neuville, though, admit last year's Rally Germany winner is a shadow of the driver who challenged for a Rally Sweden win on pace earlier this year.

The Belgian has now suffered the ignominy of being demoted in favour of Hayden Paddon for Rally GB.

Paddon has just signed a three-year deal with the Korean manufacturer and is fast replacing Neuville as its go-to driver.

Unhappy as Neuville is, service park speculation is that he can't get out of his Hyundai deal and will remain in an i20 WRC next year.

That is despite confirmation from Citroen's Yves Matton and M-Sport's Malcolm Wilson that they would be interested in signing him.

On the subject of his visit to Hyundai, Meeke told Autosport: "I've got nothing to say on that front.

"All I want is to secure myself a seat in the World Rally Championship next season."

Meeke's best chance of staying in the WRC in 2016 is with his current employer, but Matton will not discuss contracts with Meeke or his team-mate Mads Ostberg until after next month's Wales Rally GB.

"As I've said before, I'm very grateful for what Yves and the whole Citroen team has done for me," Meeke said.

"They kick-started my career again, and I feel we've gone on to work very, very well together.

"There's been a lot of pressure this year, but the win in Argentina shows what this team's capable of when we're together."

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