DAVIDE SANTON was frustrated with his failure to break back into the Newcastle United first team picture so was happy to head back to Inter Milan, according to head coach John Carver.

Santon returned to the San Siro on deadline day on loan for the rest of the campaign and it is likely to become a permanent arrangement in the summer.

The 24-year-old’s only appearance for Newcastle since last season was in the FA Cup defeat at Leicester on January 3 and had voiced his annoyance at being unable to break back in to the team after injury.

The defender’s girlfriend was critical of the club’s decision to let him leave on Monday, suggesting on Twitter that he had been pushed out. She later deleted the tweet.

But Carver is adamant there was no club agenda and that, after discussions with the Italian, a switch back to Inter was seen as the best move.

The Newcastle boss said: "It's been difficult, he's had his knee problem and he hasn't featured. The emergence of Massadio Haidara and Paul Dummett has been massive.

“I think Davide saw that as a bit of an issue. I know he can play on the right but Daryl Janmaat's not done badly, either. He was getting to the stage where he'd played enough Under-21 games and he now needed to play senior football to show he's ready. I think this works best for both parties.

"I've got to be honest and I think it's a great move for him. It's the club he's come from. It's where he's from and maybe his girlfriend just finds it difficult because she'll have to move over there. He wasn't pushed out.

"I spoke to him, he asked about when he was going to get into the side and I couldn't really give him an answer. I've said from day one if you're in the team, you stay in the team.

“If he stays at Milan after the loan then we all move on, but until that happens, he's still our player in our eyes and as far as I'm concerned he's coming back here.”

Moussa Sissoko, who interested Paris St Germain and Arsenal, is focused on trying to help Newcastle climb back in to the Premier League’s top ten.

Carver said: “I told you he was staying. I was always confident of that and it's a great boost, it's like signing another player because he's been big for us this season, and for me our most consistent player.

“He gives the team so much power with his drives forward so it's important to keep him and we did that. He's not disappointed (to stay) he's been great and is exactly the same, he's focused on what he has to do and that told me he was going nowhere.”