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Yohan Cabayehas emerged as a leading candidate to captain Newcastle United – if Fabricio Coloccini quits the Geordies to return to Argentina.

The arrival of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa will also inject more leadership qualities to Alan Pardew’s relegation-threatened team.

But the Chronicle understands that Cabaye has emerged as a natural choice to replace Coloccini if he makes the move back to Argentina and sign for San Lorenzo.

Newcastle fans don’t want to lose Coloccini but can see his need to go back to Argentina due to “personal matters”.

Sources close to Frenchman Cabaye say he would be prepared to take on the role if it came his way, but his main focus is simply helping to haul the Magpies back up the Premier League table.

The France international – who has done the job for Lille on occasion in the past after stepping in as vice-skipper – makes sense given United’s huge influx of French players.

The Marseille-raised

Yanga-Mbiwa is set to be joined by Massadio Haidara and Yoan Gouffran, who are due to complete their moves from Nancy and Bordeaux respectively today.

Yanga-Mbiwa – who met the media for the first time today – completed a medical yesterday and signed a five-and-a-half year deal.

The £6.7m man skippered Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title last year and arrives with a respected presence in the dressing room.

After Coloccini signed a long-term deal until 2016 only last year, Pardew did not expect to be looking for a new skipper.

Cabaye’s display against Reading showed that while he was on the field he gave the Magpies a lift.

United will need plenty more where that came from in the final 15 games.

Coloccini’s advisors have been talking with United about his exit in the last couple of days and a £3.5million offer is thought to have been discussed.