Alan Pardew admits he would be powerless to prevent Yohan Cabaye joining Manchester United Football Club during the summer window.
Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to find a new playmaker to eventually succeed Paul Scholes, who came out of retirement at the age of 37 back in January.
Cabaye has been linked with a move to Old Trafford following an impressive debut season at Newcastle United, and Pardew admits such speculation is a worry.
“If Yohan Cabaye gets a call from Manchester United and they tell him he is going to be the next Paul Scholes, I am not going to be able to stop him,” he said.
"It is going to cost Manchester United a shedload of money, but until we have UEFA Champions League football, we cannot compete with that."
Get all the latest news on your club. Visit
360 Football, the best football news aggregator on the web!