Deportivo La Coruna defender Fabricio Coloccini's agent has claimed his client has been offered a move to Newcastle.

Kevin Keegan is known to be in the market for defensive reinforcements, having at the weekend spoken of a need to add cover in both full-back positions.

Argentine international Coloccini prefers to operate as a central defender but according to his agent, Macelo Lombilla, Keegan is still keen.

Lombilla claims he has discussed Newcastle's approach with Deportivo president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro, but has yet to reveal the outcome of the discourse.

A fee of £8million has been mooted and while such a figure may prove prohibitive, the fact Coloccini has been left out of Depor's pre-season tour of Venezuela does add weight to any exit talk.

"The only offer that I have received is from Newcastle, which I communicated to Deportivo," Coloccini told AS.

NEWCASTLE United have set their sights on TWO Argentinian central defenders – and Kevin Keegan will be happy to sign ONE of them before he takes his side to Old Trafford three weeks tomorrow.

But if United can pull off both signings they should have no trouble gelling, because they have played together in the same Argentinian national team, along with new boy Jonas Gutierrez.

United’s recruitment team of Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez have been on the trail of Deportivo La Coruna’s Fabricio Coloccini for some time now, and he was linked with a move to St James’s Park in Glenn Roeder’s time as manager. But the Chronicle can reveal that United are also looking at Coloccini’s fellow Argentinian Nicolas Burdisso, who is now with Inter Milan.