NEWCASTLE United will look to bounce back from the £4.5million sale of captain Kevin Nolan by launching a double swoop for Switzerland winger Tranquillo Barnetta and Saint-Etienne’s France midfielder Blaise Matuidi.

After a tumultuous day on Tyneside, skipper Nolan was on the brink of joining West Ham in a deal worth £55,000 a week. He will be handed the captaincy at Upton Park, where he will be reunited with former boss Sam Allardyce.

Newcastle will respond by moving for Matuidi, a long-term target, and also looking to broker a deal for Barnetta – watched by scouts during Switzerland’s recent draw at England. Striker Demba Ba and defender Neil Taylor are also expected to complete moves imminently.

But how much consolation that will be to a fanbase left desperately disappointed by Nolan’s departure is an entirely different matter.

United had wanted to keep Nolan and offered him an improved contract, but the player felt it undervalued him and was also angered by the treatment of his friend Joey Barton – who led the howls of protest on Twitter and on Sky yesterday.

For their part, Newcastle’s hierarchy are intent on implementing a new culture at St James’ Park, and are showing little sentiment.

They are intent on not handing long, expensive deals to players into their 30s and want to build a team with more pace and energy than this year’s side.

Barnetta and Matuidi fit that bill, although whether they can replicate the incredible influence of Nolan on and off the pitch is another matter.

The former Bolton man has been a hugely successful United captain – but after feeling let down over the breakdown of contract discussions, he has opted to drop down a division to sign a lucrative, longer deal in East London. The £2.86million-a-year contract is an improvement on the three-year deal offered by Newcastle, which would have kept him at United until he was 32.