Coventry have signed 22 year-old Newcastle midfielder Gael Bigirimana today on a one-year deal, after Gael was on loan to the Sky Blues earlier this year.
So Gael returns to the club he left four years ago to sign on at Newcastle for a £1M fee, when really big things were expected of him at that time.
Gael Bigirimana – joins Coventry City
This is what Newcastle have put out on their web-site:
Newcastle United midfielder Gael Bigirimana has rejoined League One side Coventry City on a permanent deal.
The 22-year-old Burundi international originally moved to the Magpies from the Sky Blues in July 2012 and also had a loan spell back at the Ricoh Arena last season.
Bigirimana made 25 appearances for United in all competitions during his four years on Tyneside, but hasn’t featured for the first team since a League Cup tie at Morecambe in August 2013.
Everyone at Newcastle United wishes Gael all the best for his future at Coventry.
Coventry City boss Tony Mowbray said this:
“I’m looking forward to working with Gael again and I’m sure he’ll add a valuable option to our midfield third.
“We’re in an extremely busy period of fixtures so it is important we have depth in key areas. We know from last season the quality Gael can offer to the squad and I think he is pleased to be back in the West Midlands.
“Gael is still young, but having married in the summer and moving back ‘home’, I think we have signed a more mature and focused footballer.”
“I am sure he can rediscover the form that made him such a popular player in his first spell at the club.”
Gael made a great start in his first season at Newcastle playing 24 times with one goal for the club, but since then things have gone downhill for the youngster and he played only one more game for Newcastle.
Here are the ins and outs at Newcastle this summer with Gael the 15th player to leave the club this summer.
[table “51” not found /]
20 comments so far
Spoof
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:18 PM
Comment #1gorgon
I don’t recall a big signing ever been promised, but what we now have apart from possibly one or two players is to find ourselves in a position where we have at least two decent players for every position on the park, we have youth, experience, pace, strength, height which means we have a well balanced squad as well as good cover for almost all positions.
We are in the Championship and not the PL and our side is probably the best in the league and imho our squad is certainly the strongest in the league so when fatigue starts to kick in we will still be fresh and strong due to the squad we have, so why the need for a big signing, it’s not needed in this league, what we need is more of what we have been getting.
Against Bristol City we didn’t play that well but due to the character and the ethos which the new lads have brought into the club we fought and fought like hell to get that win, when did we last get a win of that type, those type of victories are priceless and those type of victories gets you promoted, the Bristol win may not have been pretty on the eye but for me it was the most impressive win that we have had in a long time.
Did the big signing’s such as Wijnaldum, Sissoko and Janmaat get us those type of victories last season, no they didn’t as they don’t have the character to fight for them, so for me you can keep the big signings and give me the character which we are now getting all day long.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:23 PM
Comment #2Everybody is worried about the amount of players leaving, at least we’re buying them as well, my biggest fear under Mike Ashley was that if we went down he might just throw his cards in and sell every available asset, take the parachute money and scarper after we sank. I think that would have been preferable mind to what we would have had to endure if McLaren had managed to drag us in to 12th/17th every year .
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:24 PM
Comment #3We are in the championship sure…. But we do still have some serious pull. From what I read there was even a rumour of Insigne??? Which I knew was impossible.
We have unloaded so many we have plenty left in the kitty, plus there is the case of delusional virgin Mary to go still.
Don’t get me wrong the big player does not to be anybody established but a coup…. a great talent, etc.
Still feel we are not exploring the best options. Said it again look at the Balkans for great talent, South America etc, and I am surprised Rafa is not looking at Spain for recruits…
WWSBRD
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:27 PM
Comment #4gorgon
When was a big player promised by Ed?
Rotonda heights
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:29 PM
Comment #5gorgon
So not content with the school playground insults, you go up a grade by calling people s–t.
Is your single brain cell feeling lonely today, as I guess reasoned argument and discussion may go a little beyond your keyboard warrior powers.
If I have to descend to your level I guess our fecal matter trumps you being a puffed up piece of blowfly shite.
WWSBRD
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:29 PM
Comment #6Good luck to Bigi looked brilliant early on but for whatever reason it hasn’t worked out, maybe that shift on the RW is to blame
Hope he has a good career moving forward though
YoungMagpieFromBurnley
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:31 PM
Comment #7Hmm I like it WWSBRD.
_____________Sels
_____Mbemba_Lascelles_Hanley
Yedlin___Diame_Hayden___Lazaar
____Ritchie__Gayle__Atsu
Jail for Ashley
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:33 PM
Comment #8WW…,
It was one of Ed’s stupid misleading headlines, it was Rob Elliott he was on about.
JamesToon
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:33 PM
Comment #9Lazaar and Atsu to come in tomorrow.
Just need 1 more winger and a target man then our business is done I think.
Perhaps the final winger will be Alan Judge even though he’s injured? Chronicle did say he flew to Newcastle for talks?
Then target man would love us to go and prize Rudy Gestede away from Villa, 6″4, didn’t he score 20 goals in the 14/15 season for blackburn in the championship?
JP...from The Rock
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:34 PM
Comment #10Really want us to sign this lad Lazaar now. Been doing a Dennis Wise on him and he looks a real talent. Great technique on the ball, very quick, competitive and has a strong left foot in him.
He would do wonders ahead of Dummet I believe. Maybe he plays infront of him in LW as he can also play there. Versatile like Benitez likes them.
Really hope we finalise this today or early tomorrow morning, fingers crossed.
WWSBRD
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:36 PM
Comment #11JfA
Oh the big deal announcement thing? Bit clipbait-y from Ed but no promise of a signing unless people aren’t capable of reading the article
WWSBRD
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:37 PM
Comment #12JP
We finally sign a LB and u want to play him on the wing?
GeordieTwo
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:38 PM
Comment #13This is a huge transition year for the club. All the older players and dross picked up by the club over the ten year Mike disaster are being removed. Thank God for that. Players like Saylor, Obertongs, and De Jong were absolutely useless. Signed to fairly long term contracts and just eating up the wage bill. Then there are players like Bigi and Marveaux amd Saivet who just never made it with us. Well done Ashley, Charnley, Carr, Kinnear, Llambeezee etc. etc. Ten years of futility under the biggest group of pinheads ever assembled in English football. I’m not even mentioning expensive incoming like Cabella and Thauvin who were a complete waste of space (I suppose I am mentioning them aren’t I?). Again, well done you magnificent group of pinheads!
Jib
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:38 PM
Comment #14I feel sorry for Bigi.
I clearly remember him being interviewed by NUFC tv in the States last Summer and him saying that with McClaren promising everyone a clean slate he was sure he could force his way back into the reckoning.
Jail for Ashley
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:39 PM
Comment #15WW…,
Aye, it was definitely another click bait headline, bet hey ho we might get a surprise yet.
gorgonzola ( former Pecorino former to gorgonzola)
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:40 PM
Comment #16WWSBRD
Please refer to my link posted on previous article. Its all there it was mentioned one more time before that article too.
But anyhow suppose Ed likes stirring it up.
Rotonda
There is not need to stoop to any heights. Suppose you lie and wait to pounce on peoples observations of articles. Children like yourself really do need to exercise their foreskin more often, take out all that built up frustrations on something smaller and less significant than the blog.
If you cannot add any descent response to a referral of the article other than aggressive abusive pathetic and bickering mockery, do me a favour leave me out of it.
Thanks.
nut meg
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:40 PM
Comment #17We are in advanced talks with Chelsea according to this.
http://www.espnfc.co.uk/story/2937892/newcastle-in-talks-to-add-christian-atsu-on-loan-from-chelsea-sources
Spoof
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:42 PM
Comment #18Jail
I’m not overly worried, yes we need another striker and we are really short on wingers but apart from that area I don’t think I’ve witnessed a stronger or more balanced squad for a long time, keepers we are fine, Sels will be a good keeper but I feel he is lacking a bit of confidence, but a clean sheet last time out may have done him a world of good, fullbacks we have three, four if you include Anita who are more than capable in this league and we do seem to be close to getting a fourth.fifth, centre half’s we are far better off than at any time during our Ashley history, four who are all more than capable, defensive mids was a concern as I hadn’t seen too much of Hauden so to me he was an unknown, nothing to fear there as he will be sound and with Colback, Shelvey and even Diame we are well stocked there as well, attack mids could be improved upon as that appears to be Diame with Perez the only other realistic option, but that’s still two good players, wingers is a problem especially with Aarons, on the positive is there a better winger than Ritchie in this league, but we do need at least one more, our strikers are good but we only have two of them and sadly they are both concussed, however looking at the areas of concern even without any more additions due to the flexibility of Perez and Gouffran who can play various positions we could still manage but get another two and we would be really well set.
Jib
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:43 PM
Comment #19Are all Canadians repetitive bores or just the ones from Heaton ?
JP...from The Rock
Aug 26, 2016 at 5:44 PM
Comment #20WWSBRD- lol nah mate I would prefer him to Dummett at LB surely but what I am saying is that if Raffa wants he can also play on the wing. The ideal situation would be for us to have this guy at LB and a new and proper LW in front of him.