Alan Pardew and Arsene Wenger have a history ... and it wasn't helped when the Newcastle boss slammed Wenger for "turning Cabaye's head" and apparently "ruined" Pardew's prep for the Man City game when the Frenchman refused to play.
Pardew claimed Wenger made a £8m offer on the morning of the City game (Monday), when the truth came out the offer was made on the previous FRIDAY ... three days before!
It was a bid done in the right spirit of the transfer window, an offer for twice the price Newcastle paid for him ... but Pardew twisted the whole story ... which had Wenger fuming!
The deal was NEVER going to happen after than, but Wenger left Pardew to stew in his own juices.
The Arsenal boss didn't come back with another offer, but he kept Pardew waiting until the final minutes of the window.
The 27-year-old France midfielder was introduced to a mixed reaction from the club's fans as a 65th-minute substitute in this afternoon's 1-0 Barclays Premier League win.
I admit, I was as loud as anyone booing the player, and I think Cabaye deserved it!
Cabaye's future remained one of the main talking points after the final whistle with the Monday night's transfer deadline fast approaching.
Asked if the former Lille midfielder Pardew had played his last game for the club, said: "I don't know until 11pm [on Monday].
"We have told his agent, 'Look, come on, play the game', because we have got to replace him [if we sell him] and we can't afford to replace him before he goes because we're not sure he is going to go.
"That bid needs to come in, if it's coming in, early. If not, it won't happen - well, I think it won't happen, but you can never tell with this football club."We have got replacements in mind, but we need to act quickly if that bid comes in.
"We still hope to get an offensive player in before 11pm [on Monday] and we are working towards that."
Both the Cabaye saga and Newcastle's search for reinforcements ended with Wenger the winner - and Pardew with egg on his face.