Antonio Barreca has completed his rumoured move to Genoa CFC, the Serie A side have confirmed, with the left-back returning to Italy on loan from parent side AS Monaco.
The former Under 21 international joined Newcastle in the winter as Rafa Benitez sought to bolster a position wide-midfielder Matt Ritchie had been forced to adapt to, but would only see one game and four minutes of Premier League action before being cast aside by the Spaniard.
United had the option to turn the 24-year-old’s temporary move into a permanent arrangement for an undisclosed fee, but opted against triggering the clause and sent the defender back to his Ligue 1 side at the close of the 2018/19 Premier League season.
Barreca only moved from Torino to join Monaco on a permanent deal in the summer of 2018, but has been allowed to join Genoa, who likewise have been offered a redemption clause, should his time at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris prove more beneficial than his brief, but disastrous, spell on Tyneside.
The 13-cap former U21 international has already begun training with his new side, while we continue to linger our fellow top-flight English sides in the transfer market as the only club to have not yet signed a new player.
Steve Nickson is thought to be working closely with Managing Director Lee Charnley to change our lack of progress in the market, however, with Newcastle’s Head of Recruitment currently compiling a shortlist of players who can replace Ayoze Perez after he joined Leicester City.
The Shields Gazette understand Nickson’s list currently has two names on it, with the former Blackburn Rovers Head of Academy Recruitment looking at forwards currently competing on the continent as well as in England.