Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has admitted that he was close to joining his hometown club San Lorenzo in January.

The 31-year-old had reportedly become unsettled on Tyneside due to personal reasons and wanted a move back to Argentina.

However, manager Alan Pardew was able to convince the centre-back to remain with the Magpies.

Coloccini is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: "I am treated very well at Newcastle, it's my sixth season there and I am under contract for three more years, so I will see what happens in the future.

"I was very close of going back to San Lorenzo but Newcastle are my employers and they wanted me to stay.

"However at one point it looked like there was going to be an agreement."

Newcastle signed just one senior player in the transfer window this summer, when they loaned Loic Remy from Queens Park Rangers.