Paris Saint Germain club president Nasser al-Khelaifi (left) presents Yohan Cabaye to the media (Picture: Reuters)

The rotating doors at Newcastle United will continue to turn as we enter the final few hours of the January transfer window.

We’ve waved goodbye to Yohan Cabaye as the Frenchman signed up to Paris St Germain’s gallic galaticos for a healthy £20million.

Cabaye – who joined Newcastle for £4.3m from Lille in 2011 – was desperate to leave Tyneside and destined to play at a level the Toon just don’t have ambitions to reach.

While Newcastle rattled the Carrow Road woodwork and dominated a fixture that was completely overshadowed by the midfield maestro’s transfer, long-term target Luuk De Jong was jetting into Tyneside to soften the blow and strengthen our diminishing attack, after Loic Remy’s ill-timed red card.




De Jong arrives on loan from German side Borussia Monchengladbach and the Magpies have the option to sign him permanently in the summer if he’s a success.

Dutch striker De Jong scored a goal every other game during his time at FC Twente and ended the 2011/12 season as the club’s top scorer. He has struggled for form in Germany but will be hoping to rediscover his goal-scoring touch with the Toon.

Newcastle have managed Cabaye’s sale magnificently, firstly holding out for a better deal and then ensuring there were no hitches in its completion to make sure there’s time to at least attempt to find a replacement.

There’s never a dull moment on Tyneside and anything can happen on deadline day

The Magpies hope to more than plug the gap by continuing their fascination with French talent with a multimillion pound offer for Champions League-chasing Lyon’s France international Clement Grenier.

I’ve been impressed by Alan Pardew and co’s actions over the Cabaye transfer and the subsequent offer for 23-year-old Grenier, who chief scout Graham Carr has been keeping tabs on, should avoid the desperate scenes witnessed when Andy Carroll left for Liverpool in 2011.

Another target this window is Montpellier’s play-making midfielder Remy Cabella who has enjoyed an impressive season for the struggling Ligue 1 club.

Momentum on this transfer has died down in recent weeks and Montpellier president Louis Nicollin – who sounds like the love child of miserly Mike Ashley and the outrageous Joe Kinnear – has said Cabella would get ‘bored s***less in Newcastle’ and added we would have to match Real Madrid’s Bale offer to secure his signature this month.

I expect the creative midfielder the fans crave will arrive on Tyneside before the window slams shut on Friday at 11pm.

With regards to outgoings, Gabriel Obertan is clearly surplus to requirements and could end up at a Championship club on loan, if not a transfer back to France. Sylvain Marveux should be kept in Newcastle, especially after Jonas Gutierrez was allowed to leave on loan to Norwich.

Steven Taylor’s consistent return to the side should satisfy the centre-back’s thirst for first-team football and I believe he will stay on Tyneside.

Saying all that, there’s never a dull moment on Tyneside and anything can happen on deadline day.

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