Exit Confirmed: FLORIAN THAUVIN (loan)

Florian Thauvin has become the latest French winger to be shipped back to France on loan following a failed spell at St James Park. He returns to Marseille with no option to buy.

A £13m capture from Marseille last summer, Thauvin has started only 5 games since his arrival, making another 11 appearances as a sub, and scoring one goal in his full debut against Northampton in the League Cup.

That cup game seemingly signalled that start of a promising career with the Magpies as in addition to his goal he provided the assist for all three of our other goals that day. The 23 year old had been brought into the club to replace the outgoing (on loan) Remy Cabella who had failed to find his feet in Newcastle’s starting line up, perhaps in the fans eyes at least, not being able to fill the void left by a certain Hatem Ben Afra who seems to have set a high benchmark for mercurial French imports.

Thauvin may well wonder what he has done wrong to have such little involvement in our first team. The answer to that would seemingly be that Newcastle’s management team consider him a luxury player and whilst we continue our relegation dogfight perhaps he’s not ideal for taking into battle.

Florian has had an interesting few seasons. In two contrasting seasons he went from ‘best young player’ in 13/14 to a place in the end of season ‘biggest failures’ team with the French press in 14/15.

Whether he will ever fulfil his early potential, and whether that will be at Newcastle United at some point in his future is now one for debate. And whilst Cabella has gone on to impress again in his loan spell back in France there must also be a huge question mark on our penchant for picking players up from Ligue 1. Time to get the Carr home we think!