DAVIDE Santon completed a loan move back to former club Inter Milan last night, but Newcastle United managed to fight off interest in Moussa Sissoko before last night’s transfer deadline.

Santon has returned to the club he left to join Newcastle three-and-a-half years ago, but the Magpies were accused of forcing the left-back out of St James’ Park.

The Italian’s long-term partner Chloe Sanderson launched a scathing attack on the club on her Twitter page claiming that Santon had rejected an offer from the Serie A club but was told he must return to his homeland on loan.

The 24-year-old has moved to the San Siro until the end of the season, but the deal is includes the option to buy at the end of the loan and is understood to be similar to the one that saw Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa join Roma earlier this month.

Newcastle officials strongly refuted the claims, which were later deleted from Sanderson’s social media page, but The Northern Echo understands it was made clear that Santon wasn’t guaranteed a place in John Carver’s first-team.

The Italy international returned from eight months out at the beginning of the year, but has seen Massadio Haidara and Paul Dummett move ahead of him in the pecking order.

Santon, signed by former manager Alan Pardew, was the biggest high-profile departure from St James’ Park yesterday, despite strong interest from Paris St Germain and Arsenal in Moussa Sissoko.

PSG chiefs had been monitoring Sissoko situation, and held preliminary discussions with their Magpies counterparts at the start of the month, but those talks were shelved at a relatively early stage with Newcastle quoting a fee in the region of €30m for the 25-year-old.

Santon wasn’t the only player to leave Newcastle yesterday, however, with five fringe players moving to Scottish club Rangers on loan.

Haris Vuckic, Shane Ferguson, Kevin Mbabu, Remi Streete and Gael Bigirimana have all moved to Ibrox until the end of the season with the quartet’s first-team opportunities limited on Tyneside.

Vuckic, Ferguson and Bigirimana were all highly-rated by coaching staff at the club, but their progression has stalled in the last 18 months, while it is felt Mbabu and Streete would benefit from first-team football.

Newcastle were linked with a move for MK Dons youngster Dele Alli, but the midfielder’s £5m move to Tottenham was completed late last night following a medial yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Siem de Jong could make his long-awaited return against Stoke City this weekend after playing 69 minutes in the Under-21s 1-1 draw with West Brom yesterday.

The forward has been out since September with a groin injury, but he could be named in Carver’s squad for the Potters’ visit on Sunday, De Jong arrived in a £6m move from Ajax in the summer, but the 26-year-old has made only three appearances so far.

Carver revealed a couple of weeks ago that the Holland international would need “two or three” games for the Under-21s before being considered for the senior team and his return would provide an extra boost going into the final three months of the season.

The Tynesiders remain top of the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Division Two following yesterday’s draw with the Baggies.

Tom Heardman gave the Magpies an early lead at the club’s Benton training base, but Albion equalised in the second half through Kemar Roofe.

Gabriel Obertan also played 77 minutes on his return from a hamstring injury, while Jonas Gutierrez played 90 minutes.

Newcastle: Alnwick; Sterry (Bigirimana 77), Williams, Satka, Gillesphey; Kemen, Smith; Obertan (Gilliead 77), de Jong (Quinn 69), Gutierrez; Heardman. (Not used): Pearson, Atkinson.