Jack Colback's decision to defect from Sunderland to Newcastle could have grave ramifications after it emerged the Mackems have cooked up a scurrilous revenge plot to hijack our move for Bafetimbi Gomis. The 28-year-old - a free agent after his contract expired at Lyon - is a long-term transfer target for the Magpies and it was thought we were in the driving seat after French media reported that we had offered him a 2.5 million signing-on-fee in a bid to tie up the deal in the face of growing competition. But with tensions running high in the North East after Colback's controversial switch to St James' Park the Daily Mail are claiming that our Wearside neighbours have thrown their hat into the ring to land the French striker in a underhanded act of vengeance. What is that sage, timeworn aphorism? Don't get mad, get even. While they're not exactly being subtle in their efforts to achieve retributive justice and sabotage our pursuit of Gomis in, what can only be considered, a blatant retaliation to losing Colback, we can't disguise the fact that it would be a damaging blow to have him pinched from under our noses. It would plunge Newcastle back to square one in their search for attacking reinforcements and will likely compel Mike Ashley to reluctantly dig into his wallet to subsidise the signing of a new forward before the transfer window closes.