Two in two days as Gouffran signs for Newcastle

toonsy

Gouffran holds up his new shirt
Gouffran holds up his new shirt
Newcastle secured their second signing in as many days last night after it was confirmed that Yoan Gouffran has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at St James’ Park.

The 26-year-old joins from former Europa League group opponents Girondins Bordeaux for an undisclosed fee believe to be somewhere around the £1.2 million mark.

Gouffran only had six months remaining on his deal at Bordeaux hence the reduced price as they sought to recoup at least some money for a player, who can play either as a striker or as a wide forward in a front three and possesses pace and the ability to use either foot, that could walk away from the club for free in the summer.

Gouffran started off his career at Caen where he made 115 appearances scoring 33 goals along the way and helped his side gain promotion to Ligue 1 where he courted interest from Arsenal. Rather than joining Arsenal though, Gouffran, a French U21 international at the time, decided to stay in France and opted to join Bordeaux in 2008 for a fee of €6.5 million. He made 140 appearances for Bordeaux scoring 31 goals before joining United yesterday.

As you can see he’s not really a prolific striker and scores a goal roughly every four games (well 3.9 games actually), but that doesn’t take into account the amount of times he plays out wide in games where it’s only natural he will get less chances to score. If you wish to know an interesting fact about Gouffran he is actually allergic to grass according to his Wikipedia page.

Speaking to the official club website after securing his move to United, Gouffran had this to say following his arrival:

“I am really proud to have joined this fantastic Club. Throughout the last few years I have enjoyed every moment of my time at Bordeaux but all good things must come to an end and it was time for a new challenge.”

“And the challenge of playing for one of the most famous teams in England, with all of its history and its famous support, is very exciting,” he added.

Meanwhile Alan Pardew added to the whole bog-standard new signing spiel by saying:

“Yoan comes to the Club with a great pedigree and, like the other signings we have made this month, is a player who will add considerable strength to our squad.”

“I liked the look of him when we played Bordeaux at St. James’ Park earlier this season; pacy, direct and intelligent and those are qualities I like in a footballer.”

“I am sure he will quickly adapt to the rigours and intensity of the Premier League and play an important role for us for the remainder of the season.”

So there we go. Two in two days. It’s amazing what can be achieved with a bit of willingness. And with Massidio Haidara expected to sign today after ironing out a few details of his deal, and Moussa Sissoko rumoured to be signing a pre-contract agreement at the very least, not forgetting the already signed Mathieu Debchy and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, dare I say that we might actually end up having a good transfer window when we needed it most?

Fingers crossed eh?

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

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230 thoughts on “Two in two days as Gouffran signs for Newcastle”

  1. Head-spinning stuff from the club, this. Gouffran sounds like a brilliant addition, although I am starting to think Houllier has a point about dressing room language issues!

    We just need to hear that the Colo story is tripe, and I’m already happy. Sissoko and Haidara would be icing on the cake if that happens. I’ve never heard of a club buy like this in January – it’s incredible stuff.

    Pardieu has his work cut out making them gel, but I still trust the guy to pull it off.

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  2. dare I say that we might actually end up having a good transfer window when we needed it most?

    Yeah, cue the sale of Benny on the 30th 😆

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  3. its not enough as it stands….. Ba and colo out and three in. We are trying for sure but have we really done enough ot stop relegation? i just dont know.

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  4. newkie
    why cant u just be happy that we doing gud this window its got to be doom n gloom cos we sell benny on the 30th like hell we will we building a team around him n cabaye b4 u cum back n say him aswell cheer up its looking gud n have some belief 🙂

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  5. debuchy haidara mbiwa gourfrann n maybe sissoko thats 5 in if sissoko comes which a thinh he will and the windows not shut yet heres hoping 😛

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  6. Think Collo will be here till summer, would imagine Simpson will be offloaded this window though as he leaves for nowt in the summer so better to get 1 – 2 million for him now

    This is a fantastic transfer window, especially given the fact that we’ve got all the incoming players on the cheap or cheapish anyway

    Sissoko will be class although its gonna take something for all these players to hit the ground running and get up to speed with the EPL

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  7. Mig-to be fair I’m usually one of the most positive ones on here, I just don’t like to tempt fate as much as Toonsy 😉

    If I make the joke now, maybe we’ll be safe? I don’t honestly expect him or anyone else to go but you never know..

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  8. (THIS IS A GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING. THIS POSTER IS LIABLE TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR POINT OF VIEW. ONLY ENGAGE IF YOU AREN’T SENSITIVE AND DON’T TAKE HISSY FITS)

    I know little about these new signings. Who’s the pick of the bunch?

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  9. If we can Haidara today and bring Sissoko in before the window closes I still think we’d be short upfront. I see the local rags have us going back in for Thauvin – who I know very little about but his wiki stats wouldn’t suggest a goal machine.
    Ideal line up come the 1st of Feb:

    —————- Krul ————–
    Debuchy-MYM-Colo-Santon
    ——– Cabs —- Anita ———
    ———— Sissoko ———–
    —– Gouffran — Ben Arfa —–
    ————– Cisse ————–

    Sissoko and Cabs swapped maybe but I can see chances created and goals scored in that team like.

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  10. Delighted with our bit of business so far. Get a few more in and keep Colo ill be over the moon.

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  11. I agree we’re not there yet, especially if Colo goes. We’re still weak in attack – but that’s why I think the club’s still going all-out for a couple more. Also, don’t forget how good some of our younguns were as long as they were surrounded by senior players; let’s not write them off just because they didn’t cut it in an all-junior 11.
    Whatever your viewpoint, you can’t help but be impressed – and relieved – at what the club’s pulled off in the past few weeks.
    C’mon Colo – stay and fight, if only for the song :mrgreen:

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  14. Troy – MYM is definately the pick mate, and can be a real leader when he settles in.
    Gouffran is a very good player, he’d be better used as a forward rather than a wide right player.
    Don’t know much of Haidara. But Sissoko would be another coup – similar to Yaya Toure from what I’ve seen.

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  15. Troy – M’biwa is the pick of the bunch. Guy’s awesome. Think a young, more powerful determined version of Colo. He’s a real presence on the pitch. Haidara? Don’t know anything but it might signal a move up the field, right or left for Santon.

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  16. Not so chuffed with this signing but for £1m you cant go too wrong.

    However I dont think this is the main signing for striker.
    Think there could be something in wolfswinkel as I remember we were in for him before he went to lisbon.

    My journo pal reckons hiadara to be done today and sissoko by weekend, which is just a rehash of various media sources tbh.

    He hasnt heard anything on wolfswinkel but he did say that his agent has been offering him to clubs as is fairly standard for agents to do these days. Thinks its more media fanfare (ironic eh) to drum up interest in the player.

    He said that he helps write a lot of NUFC related stories which are purely fabricated but because NUFC are so often linked to players it creates media interest.

    That is why 95% of the speculation is false funnily enough! 😆

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  17. From ‘Le10’ via mr ThreatLevel –

    NUFCThreatLevel ‏@NUFCThreatLevel
    Le10: Sissoko, 5 and a half year deal. #NUFC

    NUFCThreatLevel ‏@NUFCThreatLevel
    Le10: also saying #NUFC will pay around £2m to make the move during this window.

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  18. Would still love to carroll come back home just so we can laugh at the bindippers 😉

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  19. M – Now sissoko is a player worth getting excited about ❗ ❗
    Dont forget floppychops will come in with his wonga

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  21. To be fair;

    THANK YOU MR CARROLL YOU HAVE REBUILT NUFC 😀

    Debuchy (£5m), Mbwia (£7m), Santon (£6m), Cabaye (£4m), Tiote (£3.5m) Sissoko (£2m), HBA (£6m), Gouffran (£1m), Marveaux (Free)

    Unfortunately buying english just is not value for money.

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  22. sissoko is very good and that would make up for the striker as we go one in the hole, which kinda suits our style better in any case.

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  23. I am thinking of getting the new Football Manager game, editing our squad at the end of the window and seeing how it goes 😀

    Obviously will pop Perchy’s stats up in the editor too as they just don’t do him justice

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  25. The new players should bring a big boost to the squad and dressing room morale. You always have to freshen things up even if you’ve had a successful season. Shame they didn’t in the summer.

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  28. Not seen much of Gouffran or anything of Haidara, but Mbiwa looks tidy and I’ve heard good things of Sissoko. Likely won’t all hit the ground running, but I think Mbiwa is the real focus. Not sure if we’re planning on getting another CB in…seems unlikely we’ll get anyone with PL experience anyway so could be they have to form partnerships very quickly, esp with Tayls likely to be injured again before the end of the season.

    What we really need is for these purchases to inspire the old guard. Cabaye was below average at the start. Maybe this will scare Jonas into action, though personally I don’t think he should be on the pitch. Maybe Krul can improve too…and Cisse with no serious competition might feel secure enough to start scoring again? 😉

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  29. BIG DAVE
    January 24, 2013 at 11:08
    It just shows what effect the threat of losing all the extra tv money next yr has on the Regime.

    Come on Dave everyones doing the same who are down there, would you prefer to be like Villa, Wigan? Its the biggest deal for any club. Read somewhere next year team that finishes in 20th will get more than City did after winning it last year.

    I’m just happy they’re willing to pay now instead of waiting to get them for free I think.

    Looks like Mbiwa and Sissoko are the pick of the new lads…… IMO

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  30. Also, this from Haidara… He retweeted this…

    “@MassadioHaidara mon gars félicitations pour Newcastle ! T un grand maintenant inchallah tu vas tout arracher !!!! — El Mousaoui Ahmed (@AhmedElmousaoui)”

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  31. Kristan Heneage ‏@KHeneage
    Two outlets now claiming Sissoko to #NUFC in January for €2.5m. RMC and Le10Sport. Be amazed if they get him, Haidara and Thauvin.

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  35. JJ… someone’s intel is wrong about sissoko as too many conflicting reports.. i think he will come now not june myself and that his club will have no choice but do it now at a knockdown rate… they must hate his guts by now and there is no point in him staying. my money is on him coming now. besides, june is no good to us and for the sake of two million squid… daft to wait.

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  37. Olivier Sadran, president of Toulouse, reached an agreement with his English counterparts for the transfer of the French international who is out of contract with TFC at the end of the season.

    The amount of the transaction is believed to be 2.5m Euros.

    Sissoko, who is thought to have made significant concessions on his signing bonus, will sign for the Magpies on Friday for five and a half years.

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  39. Aussie 😀 It’s all this snow!

    Personally still think he’ll come now as I can’t see the point in us waiting til the summer, and I doubt his club want him hanging around til then and not playing at all…guess it depends how vengeful these frenchies want to be.

    But I think all these lads bar Haidara may have some clause in case of relegation…not like leaving for free like Ba, but a certain amount perhaps…Hmm… 😕

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  44. yes its the english translation i guess.. its starting to break in a few places now. my father in law lives in france and is a footy nut.. he says its on local tv out there. maybe its true.

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  46. Newkie 🙂 know what your saying about the weather except I have been getting a bit sun burnt 🙂 🙂 I have a bad feeling that we are getting too many frenchies in our team. Not sure why but it feels a bit over the top..

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  48. i dont think it will take the players long to gel… lets be honest.. our team are all french and all know each other.. it should to my thinking.. flow better. .they can all shout in french at each other. they have all played together already and we now need some of these fukers to dig out for us. i agree with JJ..if we can stay up i think next season could be good.. if we stay up.

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  49. I will openly admit that a week or so ago, I had us going down but I am hugely optimistic about our chances if we get these next 2 over the line. The only reason we can blame Ashley IF we do go down is for not sacking the manager and bringing someone decent in!

    Pardew has been given a lifeline by the board here, he can’t afford to mess this up.

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  51. There is a lot of excitment over players that hardly anyone has watched play. I won’t get too excited until I see something good happening on the park..

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  52. I’ve junked my mid-table finish prediction. We’ll be in the bottom five, and I don’t rule out relegation at this stage. The situation is too unpredictable.

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  53. Aussie-lucky sod…

    Yeah, there’s no doubt they are undervalued (seen manure get Zaha for the price we’ve paid for about 7 frenchies..) and we’ve got some great players, I just don’t really get the almost excluisve scouting of france? Unless this is all the lads we’re getting then Graham is moving on? We missed some steals in the Spanish market…we need to be looking at the poor clubs we can steal good players from like everyone else!

    Or maybe the club do have a french manager in mind…I would say the french could throw in the towel, but we had plenty of anglo saxons who failed us miserably in the relegation season…

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  55. Yeah it doesn’t seem like Carr has Ben traveling all over Europe for signings… just France..

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  56. you’ll notice that we aren’t paying over-the-odds for any of these guys either. In fact, according to valuations/reputations… they all seem like bargains

    It would seem that the board haven’t changed their strategy one iota – if a ‘target’ becomes available at a ‘favourable’ price, they move on it

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  58. well i hope that the players will do their thing anyway on the pitch.. regardless of AP if he is talking tactical *****.. the french national team plays some nice flowing footy and keeps it down…. we need to play to these guys style of play.. if we just do hoofball still we are not making the most of their talents and in many ways we are making them no better than an average english player.. we need to play to the teams strengths.. not nulify them.

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  61. don’t wanna sound negative but as a geordie and an englishmen although i dont mind who plays for my club; but to have 11 french players, 15 french speaking in squad of 20 odd makes me a little uncomfortable.

    i understand value for money but the french and clicks go hand in hand and i dont see this as a good thing for team spirit. i listened to what houllier said and now phillipe auclair on talksport, and have to agree with them.

    this is a bit too much now imo

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  62. until we start to pick up wins though.. this is all bollox is we are honest…our window is nearly done now.. maybe simmo may leave but thats about it i guess.. now comes the reality of where we are in the league – the bottom.. we have a fight on our hands for sure. its harder at the bottom than the top.

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  64. arsenal still had adams keown winterburn, dixon seaman, parlour etc during the years when they had a load of french players when wenger first came.

    i hope tayls plays and gets the armband. as a geordie i need to have that little connection. its why we were so upset when carroll left

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  65. Part of me wonders if this was always the plan.
    You know what our board are like with bargain buys, and I wonder if they sat down in the summer and thought, we can either spend a small fortune now on the likes of Douglas, Debuchy and De Jong or we can take a calculated risk and wait til Jan when players like Sissoko and Gouffran could be bought for a lot less with their contracts expiring. A calculated risk that looks to have paid off, but still hangs in the balance IMO

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  66. I imagine it’s because it takes a long time to get to know a Nation’s footballing talent so intimately. There are the contacts you build, the volume of games you would need to see for just 1 player, the logistics of travelling around…

    If he were all over Europe he would not be able to make absolutely sure about the player’s ability and character.

    Can’t fault Carr. I think what we need to do is hire more quality scouts and designate them to certain regions permanently until the pool of talent thrre dries up, then move them on to the next hot spot. You can’t expect Carr to be everywhere at once AND make informed judgements on players.

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  67. well i dont think we will have the french clique issue as at the end of the day.. the entire tram is french other that tiote who speaks french and never seems to play, staylor who is a permananet sick note and we have krul and he is dutch… oh yes and santon.

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  68. Newkie, historically our club has not fared too well when dipping into the Spanish market. Aside from their top clubs who have excellent academies – I dont think the young talent in Spain is superior to anywhere else to be honest. Germany is where I’d be looking.

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  69. Aussie- 😆

    @61-Yeah, I know what you mean. I mean, we have over double the amount of French players as Arsenal…And this whole “They’re all french, they’ll all get on” is quite simplistic. The French are the same as everyone else. Most rurals hate the Parisians etc..and John Terry and Wayne Bridge used to get on well…It’s not like the french are renowned for their fidelity.

    Come to think of it, nor is pards…

    Maybe he has Carr checking out these players’ wives? 😀

    Still, don’t doubt most of them are better than their english counterparts-certainly when it comes to value for money..

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  70. Sham, no is expecting Carr to be in a different country evey other day. He has had months to track players, he should be able to cover many countries without too much stress in that time frame..

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  71. aussie at 51 i agree

    im excited about yap and and debuchy because they are upgrades on what we had. (aka tayls/willo and simpson)

    but is haidara better than santon? is gouffran better than ba? not seen either play and listening to phillipe auclair one is poor and one is average

    id rather give our young lad adam cambell a chance up top then spend 2 mil on an average striker in ligue 1

    just saying 😛

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  72. Newkie, if they (French lads) channel (not Chanel) their passion and are all focused, they could play well together but I see trouble brewing. We need some Geordie boys like Saylor and Carroll, they would be able to show our French boys how to get along. 🙂

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  73. Shamrock-My main thing was that given the financial problems most of the Spanish sides had, there was at least an opportunity to look for bargains/future prospects. I’m not saying we could have gone in and got Carzola obviously but we were all told Malaga would crumble after selling their better players and with their finances etc, they destroyed their group and are still going strong in the league…obviously still have some good players about..

    Germany is producing great talent nowadays true, but the German clubs already have a strong financial footing even if we can offer higher wages. Plus some here *cough* Munich *cough* claim its stronger than the epl, why would they want to leave? 😉

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  74. @66-Yes we can, ffs Carr you’re only watching footie!

    I know what you mean though Shamrock. Guess we’ll see how these signings do. If they all slot in sweetly I guess we can’t fault him or the boards decisions..

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  75. Aussie 😆

    I just hope Debuchy and Gouffran don’t try and hug Carroll too tightly if we do resign him, he might give them one of his famous peck-on-the-cheeks.

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