Xisco off to Spain?

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: Xisco of Newcastle United in action during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford on August 16, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

It’s a piece of news that every Newcastle supporter would have wanted to hear. There are reports emanating from Spain that Cordoba, a Spanish second division side, have now reached agreement with Newcastle over a six month loan for misfit forward Xisco.

Given the fact that there are only six months left to run on his contract, this will effectively be the end of player’s Newcastle’s career (if we can call it that).

The 26-year-old former Spanish U21 international joined United for £5.7m from Deportivo la Coruna in late August 2008 and his last first team outing was way back in August 2010 against Aston Villa at SJP. During his chequered term at Newcastle, he had loan spells at his former club Deportivo La Coruna and Racing Santander.

His Newcastle statistics do not make for good reading, with a grand total of eleven first team appearances (4 starts) totalling 441 minutes in all competitions, scoring only once – on his debut against Hull City at St. James’s park in a 2-1 reverse.

I don’t know how Newcastle will be benefited financially though, as it’s a second division side in a league where the wages are not as high as the Premier League. So I imagine that the Magpies will still be paying a hefty chunk of his inflated wages. However, it is good to get a player off the books when you are trying to do something new, rather than have him sulk for the remaining length of his contract. He was in Newcastle’s 25 man squad and now that place can go to a new signing.