Saturday, 19th January, 2013
Newcastle United are closing in on Montpellier defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, according to Le 10 Sport.
Alan Pardew’s Magpies are believed to have agreed a fee of €8M for the Montpellier skipper, with Yanga-Mbiwa agreeing a yearly salary of €3.8M.
Should Newcastle complete the swoop, it would be a real coup.
Yanga-Mbiwa came close to leaving the Stade de la Mosson last season,admitting he could have ended up at AC Milan or Arsenal, had Montpellier not blocked a switch.
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The defender’s contract was due to expire in the summer, however he penned a fresh deal with Montpellier on the understanding he could leave for a set amount.
And that may indeed be the €8M Newcastle are thought to have offered.
The arrival of Yanga-Mbiwa could indicate that Newcastle have lost their battle to keep defender Fabricio Coloccini, who wants to go back to Argentina for personal reasons.
For Yanga-Mbiwa, Newcastle may well represent the perfect stepping stone to the club he has admitted is his dream, Manchester United.
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