The 25-year-old former Maccabi Tel Aviv defender became a free agent at Bolton in the summer and Sam gave him the chance to move to St James' Park.
He was expected to make the switch, but Chelsea's Jose Mourinho hijacked the deal before it was completed.
However, life at Stamford Bridge has not been a bed of roses for the player since fellow Israeli Avram Grant took over at Chelsea, and he could finally arrive on Tyneside in January.