Florian Thauvin says he’s been studying Newcastle United’s history.
Advertisement
The 22-year-old French Under-21 global passed a medical on Wednesday and committed to the club until 2020 on a deal that French media reported to be worth €17 million ($18.9 million).
And the club were uneasy about questions whether he saw his move to the North East as a stepping stone to bigger things, as suggested by Toon and Marseille legend Chris Waddle and recently performed by Yohan Cabaye and Mathieu Debuchy.
He joins Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Ivan Toney through the door at St James’ Park and McClaren will hope his arrival kick-starts the Magpies’ Premier League campaign following a draw and a defeat from the opening two games of the season.
“He is a ideal signing for this club – someone who is young, with great potential and is one of the best young players in Europe”, said McLaren.
Thauvin, however, was delighted to hear that Waddle rated him so highly. As a manager, that is one of the things I have to get right. Marseille have practically imploded over the past year or so, culminating in the departure of a host of players this summer and the sudden exit of former boss Marcelo Bielsa earlier this month. He plays in a position which we have been looking for – we have been trying to get a genuine winger in.
“I am very happy to be here at Newcastle”, he said.
When asked whether the £50m outlay represented a statement of intent, McClaren said: “Absolutely, without a shadow of doubt”.
“It has not always worked out for him but from what I have seen, he is a player who if we treat him right, could be a very, very good signing”.
Advertisement
After Thauvin’s deal was confirmed, a series of pictures went up on social media showing the Frenchman in his new surroundings in Newcastle, with Miss Pirroni joining in his celebrations. While he might not want to talk about it, Thauvin has already had more than enough experience of having to get himself out of those.
