Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is confident securing skipper Fabricio Coloccini to a new contract.

Coloccini the latest man to enter contract negotiations.

The manager said: "I have got to be honest, I think we are okay, that's about the only sign I can give you.

"You have got two parties here you have got a club offering a contract to Colo, but really it's about Colo. If he agrees to the contract, then all well and good.

"It's difficult because his agent is Argentina-based and doesn't have particularly great English either, so we are waiting for him to come back across, and we think we can get the deal done."

Asked if interest from higher-profile clubs could affect the situation, Pardew admitted: "If he takes the shine of [Manchester United manager Sir] Alex Ferguson or [Manchester City boss Roberto] Mancini, then we will have a problem.

"But the more success we have, the more chances we have got of the player actually saying 'I'll stay'.

"The financial position we are starting to get ourselves into gives us a chance to maybe compete a little bit stronger for those players who are threatened.

"That's why this season is very, very important.

"At football clubs, when you get the feeling we have at the moment, if we can keep that, then we are going to have a successful year, I don't doubt it."