Lille midfielder Cabaye set to join Newcastle United

PARIS (Reuters) -- France midfielder Yohan Cabaye looks set to join Newcastle United from French champions Lille, according to coach Rudi Garcia. "Yohan told

PARIS (Reuters) -- France midfielder Yohan Cabaye looks set to join Newcastle United from French champions Lille, according to coach Rudi Garcia.

"Yohan told us, to me then to the squad, that he had decided to join Newcastle," Garcia was quoted as saying in sports daily L'Equipe on Monday. "It's a choice I respect."

Cabaye, who has two caps with France, played an instrumental role as a holding midfielder in Lille's Ligue 1 and French Cup double winning season.

The 25-year-old's contract runs until 2013, but it does contain a five-million euro ($7.08 million) buyout clause.