Indeed sources in London indicated that Arsenal had contacted Montpellier to enquire about the deal but as of last night, no firm bid had been lodged and Newcastle were hoping that Yanga-Mbwia would be on Tyneside today.
United hope that Yanga-Mbwia will kick-start a week of more positive transfer noises, and have made approaches for Bordeaux striker Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko, who has been linked with QPR and Marseille.
A £600,000 offer for Gouffran was rejected, while further talks are planned with Sissoko’s representatives on Wednesday with a view to striking a deal this month.
One move that is moving a step closer is Massaido Haidara, with United now having agreed a deal with Nancy for the left-back. He is due in Newcastle this week for a medical.
He is not viewed as a replacement for Davide Santon, though, with Newcastle seeing him as competition for the Italy defender – who has been unchallenged so far this season.
For United the Coloccini situation has been an unwelcome distraction from the business of recruitment, and Newcastle are now anticipating that their efforts will extend into next week.
Despite some names being thrown into the hat, they have also ruled out the possibility of recruiting experienced English players.
Darren Bent and Danny Graham (pictured below) have been mooted as striker targets, but neither is on United’s radar.
