Naughty Boy wants to rekindle Zayn Malik friendship

British music producer Naughty Boy is hoping to rebuild his friendship with former One Direction star Zayn Malik following their public spat earlier this year (15).

Naughty Boy, whose real name is Shahid Khan, was collaborating with Zayn ahead of the launch of the pop star's solo music career, but the pair fell out after the singer accused his former friend of leaking his unreleased tracks online.

Now the producer, who has also worked with Beyonce Knowles and Sam Smith, has confirmed he wants to mend his relationship with Zayn, as he is convinced the ex-boyband member may be lonely now he has moved to Los Angeles.

"I think I'd reach out to him. But if anything is meant to happen, and fate wants it to happen, it will," Naughty Boytells Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper.

"I think at the moment he's doing what he needs to do and I'm doing what I need to do. I'm sure he'll make some incredible music. There's no bad blood - I don't feel angry towards him. Life is too short. L.A. can be a lonely place - I would never go without taking a friend."

Zayn publicly criticised the La La La musician after what appeared to be a promotional video for an unreleased solo track emerged on video sharing application Snapchat.

"@NaughtyBoyMusic you fat joke stop pretending we're friends no one knows you... Someone learned how to upload a video... maybe now he should learn how to use logic ha you ain't s**t but a faker (sic)," the Steal My Girl singer wrote in a post on Twitter.com.

Despite Naughty Boy's fears that Zayn is lonely in the U.S., the singer appears to have found love since leaving his native Britain as he is reportedly dating model Gigi Hadid.

Zayn quit One Direction in March (15) after walking off the band's world tour, and he went on to dump his fiancee, Little Mix star Perrie Edwards, and sign a solo record deal.