In the early 2010s, Newcastle United Football Club underwent a significant transformation, marked by the arrival of several talented French players, but just a few years later, they were all gone, despite the players having varying degrees of success.
Much to the chagrin of the best betting sites in the world of the time, the rapid influx of French players must have made odds relating to Newcastle tough to call.
Spearheaded by then-manager Alan Pardew and Chief Scout Graham Carr, Newcastle’s French contingent brought flair, skill, and flops to St James’ Park.
However, as quickly as they were brought in, they disappeared. By the start of the 16/17 season, it seemed the French experiment was over. But where did they end up?
Hatem Ben Arfa
Ben Arfa joined Newcastle on loan from Marseille in the summer of 2010 when Chris Hughton was at the helm.
It was a move that ushered in a wave of French signings, despite Ben Arfa’s initial loan spell being hampered massively by Injury, he was signed permanently by Pardew in the Summer.
A fan favourite and part of the beloved ‘Streets won’t forget’ Premier League players, Ben Arfa will always be remembered for his brilliance, despite his tendency to frustrate at times.
After an ill-fated loan spell to Hull for the 2014, season, culminating in the player leaving the country and Steve Bruce admitting he “didn’t know where he was”, Ben Arfa joining OGC Nice on a free.
He was initially unable to as a result of having played for two clubs already that season, even reportedly having his contract terminated in February, but Nice would re-sign the attacker the following summer.
Ben Arfa would impress, scoring 18 in 37 for Nice, and earned a move to PSG the next season.
This move would prove a disaster, as save for a bumper salary, Ben Arfa’s career stagnated, failing to score a single league goal in his two seasons there. He wouldn’t make a single competitive appearance in his second campaign for PSG.
Rennes provided a way out, where he once again impressed, but his attitude proved an issue, leaving him a free agent by the start of the 2019/20 season.
After an unsuccessful stint at Valladolid, he wound up back in France, where a mediocre spell at Bordeaux saw him wind up at Lille as a squad player.
He has remained a Free Agent since his contract was terminated at Lille following an incident in the dressing room after a 0-0 draw to Bordeaux.
Yohan Cabaye
Cabaye was one of the marquee signings of the French Renaissance, arriving from Lille in 2011. His elegance was met only by his tenacity, as he resembled Zidane in playstyle, dictating play superbly, and quickly becoming a fan favourite.
After his stint with Newcastle, Cabaye moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2014 where he won two Ligue 1 trophies, but found himself used as more of a rotational option.
Searching for more playing time, he returned to England where he enjoyed moderate success at Crystal Palace, becoming the lynchpin of the side’s midfield.
He remained in London for 3 seasons, before moving to The United Arab Emirates for a short spell until he would return to France, signing for Saint-Étienne, where he retired after 15 appearances.
He has since taken on a youth coaching role at PSG.
Moussa Sissoko
A powerful, athletic midfielder, Sissoko’s time on Tyneside spanned 3 years, with Sissoko quickly proving himself one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.
Signed from Toulouse, Sissoko was a more powerful replacement for Cabaye, slotting in at CDM.
After 118 appearences, Sissoko signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2016, escaping the relegated, sinking ship of Newcastle with Spurs paying a bumper £30 million fee, representing fantastic profit on the £1.5 million they paid for him.
He was a consistent figure in their squad for 5 seasons until he was loaned to Watford as they hoped his experience could see them escape the drop.
Sissoko failed to escape the drop a second time and then left his parent club to join Nantes, where he still plays today.
Sissoko has also been a regular for the French national team and was part of the French squad that won the FIFA World Cup in 2018. He boasts 71 caps.
Mathieu Debuchy
A product of the Lille youth academy, Debuchy was signed as a replacement for the departing Danny Simpson in January 2013.
He looked an immediate improvement on his predecessor, offering a greater threat going forward, whilst remaining defensively solid.
His impact attracted the attention of bigger clubs, with Wenger singling him out as a great option for Right-back at Arsenal, parting with £12 million to sign him at the start of the 14/15 season.
Unfortunately for Debuchy, this was the same season that Hector Bellerin was breaking through into the Arsenal team, making the Frenchmen’s game at Arsenal sparse
3 seasons and just 13 Premier League appearances.
He left for Saint Etienne where he cemented a place in the team up until 2021, before signing for Valenciennes in Ligue 2.
This proved to be his final season in football, as following a 16-placed finish in France’s second tier, Debuchy retired.
Remy Cabella
Cabella arrived at Newcastle with high expectations in 2014 but struggled to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League.
After a solitary season, in which he scored just once in 31 games, he was loaned out to Marseille where he did enough to earn a permanent move there in 2016.
Just 1 season later, he was out on loan again, this time at Saint Etienne. Just like before, he would make the move permanent the following season, but once again struggled to make an impact, finding himself frozen out, and signing for Russian side Krasnodar.
His stint with Krasnodar proved pretty successful, scoring 17 in 62, earning a move back to France, initially with Montpellier, but soon signing for Lille for the 21-22 season.
He has since enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance, regularly turning out for a Lille side that finished 5th, scoring 7 in 32 that league campaign alone.
He has remained at Lille this season and currently has 19 appearances in the league, but no goals.
These 5 weren’t even half of the players signed from France at the time, but we’ll save those for another time…
