Alan Pardew gave the biggest hint yet yesterday, about a player who may be arriving in the summer.
Mathieu Debuchy – French International right back
With Danny Simpson looking to leave Newcastle in the summer, Newcastle may already have decided on his replacement.
This is what Alan Pardew told BBC Newcastle yesterday:
“We are trying to bring another player to the club who is close to Yohan Cabaye. That is another little connection and a bit of a clue for you.”
It’s not a secret that Yohan’s best pal is his former team-mate at Lille, French international right back Mathieu Debuchy.
And Newcastle have been linked with the player for at least the last six months, and in the Lille 2-1 defeat of PSG recently, Mathieu had a great game and looked a very good player for Lille.
Of course the Newcastle scouts will have seen the player in action last season too, while they were scouting Yohan Cabaye.
And Debuchy is very likely to be included in the French squad for the Euo 2012 Championships in Poland and the Ukraine in June, and he already has 3 caps for France.
Like Cabaye, Lille is the only major club he has played for, and he joined them when he was only 8 years old.
After spending ten years in the Lille youth system, he was promoted to the senior team following the winter break of the 2003–2004 season, and the 5’10” player made his debut for Lille in 2004, when he was just 18 years old.
Mathieu has since played 279 times for Lille with 17 goals, but he would cost a fee, since he is under contract to the French Champions.
We think he would cost maybe around £6M for Newcastle to sign him, but he was also linked heavily with Valencia in March, and at the time he was quoted in L’Equipe as saying he knew of the Spanish club’s interest:
“I know Valencia are interested in me. But I’m focused on Ligue 1 for now. I want to end my season positively here before thinking about a possible transfer.”
“I have to accept that I am under contract and I won’t make the choice.”
We think the Frenchman would be an excellent signing for Newcastle, and he would fit right in on Tyneside, and would be a good replacement for Danny Simpson, if Danny leaves the club this summer.
And even if Danny stays, he could still find that Mathieu Debuchy has arrived at Newcastle, and will be fighting for that right back position in pre-season.
Comments welcome.
209 comments so far
Big Pappa Cisse
May 12, 2012 at 10:33 PM
Comment #201Would love to see Eubank Jr get Ko’d 2 nite, they just keep giving him talentless cans to crush
check the toastie
May 12, 2012 at 10:34 PM
Comment #202looking forward to 2moro lads but time to turn in for the night, lets hope this time 2moro we could be dreaming of Barcelona eh, ordering bayern shirts off ebay, hope so………………………..
Tsunki
May 12, 2012 at 10:37 PM
Comment #203I know it does me heed in taking off your top lock picker when you are trying to break into the toughest defence in the league, but i bite my tongue in deference to the sage that is Pardew. He got manager of the season award y’know 🙂
Tsunki
May 12, 2012 at 10:39 PM
Comment #204Nighty night as well all, tomorrow is a burgundy shirted victorious day, I feel the victory!
Garreth
May 12, 2012 at 10:40 PM
Comment #205Check (201) that’s not strictly true. Everton will be wanting to finish above Liverpool, so will get behind their team very heavily.
I think Arsenal have the hardest game, then us, and then Spurs. I really can’t see Spurs slipping up, BUT, I can see West Brom getting something from Arsenal, hopefully all 3 points!
Tsunki
May 12, 2012 at 10:44 PM
Comment #206Ok I said I was going but Garreth – other way round, spuds more likely to faulter imo. Lets hope that we win first of all though!
Garreth
May 12, 2012 at 11:05 PM
Comment #207I agree that we need to hope we win, and then we worry about other results!
No PL football today, it’s been so boring.
toonie
May 12, 2012 at 11:16 PM
Comment #208One player that seems to be overlooked is Steven Taylor. I agree we still need to bring in quality defenders but Syaylor has been a miss and he had started to contibute a decent goals to games ratio in 2011. A Class act that will be a great asset on our adventures into Europe next season.
Ian Magpie
May 13, 2012 at 1:18 AM
Comment #209If STaylor was fit all season we would already have qualified for the champions league!!!