Steve McClaren said that Fabricio Coloccini’s contract extension is the best signing that Newcastle United have made this summer, the captain having produced a courageous performance to help to hold Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford.
Newcastle have spent more than £50 million during this transfer window, with Florian Thauvin making his debut on Saturday after his move from Marseilles, adding to the buying of Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Chancel Mbemba.
McClaren, the head coach, is most pleased about the one-year contract extension given to Coloccini, though, in the face of interest from Crystal Palace. The experienced Argentina defender, 33, had been offered a three-year deal elsewhere, but committed himself to the shorter offer from Newcastle. The commitment of Coloccini was not in doubt on Saturday as — alongside the impressive Steven Taylor and in front of the ever-alert Tim Krul — a barrier was formed, which Manchester United could not breach. It was a needed show of character after Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat away to Swansea City the previous week.
McClaren said: “There was a point when we thought he might well be going, most definitely. There were offers on the table, but the club has done great to address the situation and keep him. We said to sort him out and get him back on board.
“There’s been a lot of talk about signings this summer but, for me, that one [Coloccini] was the best one. We looked around at various defenders when his position was in doubt, but none of them matched up.”
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Having secured a first away point in the league since February, Krul highlighted the influence of McClaren. The goalkeeper said: “It’s a completely different philosophy. We have new players coming in. They will have difficulty with the language, but it will come if they keep working on it and, from games like this, they will take confidence.”