Martin O’Neill has made no secret of his desire to sign Jack Colback this summer, but Nottingham Forest’s bid to procure his signature could hit a stumbling block as Newcastle may need to keep the defensive-midfielder next summer.
Colback’s future at St James’ Park is uncertain as he believes his parent club have no intention of bringing him back while Rafael Benitez remains in charge. The 29-year-old joined Forest on loan during the second-half of last season (16 appearances) and returned to the City Ground for a full campaign this time round (35 appearances).
He’s been a standout performer for the Reds and has admitted he’s open to joining the East Midlands outfit permanently this summer. Unfortunately, Newcastle could stand in his way of an exit. The North-East outfit could lose Mohamed Diame in the coming months as he’s threatened to leave if he isn’t handed a two-year contract extension.
Isaac Hayden is another player who wants out of Newcastle as he wants to live closer to his family in Wales. He handed in a transfer request last summer but had been forced to stay due to a lack of depth in midfield. If Newcastle lose Diame and Hayden over the summer, they’ve be left with only Jonjo Shelvey, Sean Longstaff and Ki Sung-yeung.
Colback might have to be retained until they find replacements for those who leave.
