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Newcastle United could be set to make their first permanent signing in 18 months as Sunderland midfielder Jack Colback nears a switch on a free transfer.
The Guardian report that the midfielder, who is a Newcastle fan, has turned down an offer from West Ham worth £50,000 in order to join the Magpies.
The report also says that Aston Villa were also interested in Colback and that Sunderland had offered him a new deal.
However the deal made Colback feel undervalued and although a new offer has been made it still falls short of what is being offered by Newcastle.
Colback is a versatile player who has often been used at left-back however his preference has always been to play in the centre of midfield.
This season he has flourished under Gus Poyet and he has benefitted from being played in a more attacking role by the Uruguayan.
The deal could be completed when Colback returns from his honeymoon next week and will start the rebuilding process at Newcastle after a shambolic past twelve months in the transfer market.
Newcastle have failed to make a permanent signing in the past 18 months and the club is now looking to make multiple signings this summer.
Sunderland failed to a win a game where Jack Colback didn’t play
