Florian Thauvin vs Remy Cabella

Just over a year ago I was keeping my fingers crossed that Newcastle would finally manage to sign Remy Cabella. He was the player I wanted us to bring in more than any other. Everything I had seen of him was quality. Everything people in the game said about him was exciting. Everything pointed to him being the perfect signing.

A year later, and Newcastle are ready to use him as a pawn in the deal to bring in Florian Thauvin from Marseille. Not only that, but a make-weight that has seemingly lost £2-3 million in value in the transfer market (although if you believe the Newcastle hierarchy they will be making a £1m profit claiming to have only paid £7m for him).

Cabella, to be fair, has been injured a lot, and was treated a bit unfairly by Alan Pardew. He was given a new lease of life for a short time under John Carver, but never had a consistent opportunity to show his worth.

So, the big question is: Are we in for a similar scenario with Florian Thauvin?

The best way to answer that question is to start by asking another – Who is Florian Thauvin?

The answer, in short, is a (still) young 22-year-old, widely considered, from an early age, to be one of the hottest prospects in French football. Arsene Wenger, who knows a thing or two about French football, tipped him for the very top and tried to sign him for Arsenal prior to his move from Bastia to Lille in 2011. He was loaned straight back to Bastia, allowing him to progress in familiar surroundings.

He is not without controversy though. After a successful loan season at Bastia, the player went AWOL, effectively going on strike, to secure a move to Marseille, having never made a first team appearance for Lille. He got his wish on transfer deadline day in September 2013, moving to the French south coast for a fee of £8.4m.

So it seems that the Magpies will be getting another ‘character’ to go with fellow new signing Aleksander Mitrovic.

However, there are many pointers to suggest that he is more likely to be a Premier League success than Cabella.

The new management team should help. Steve McClaren may not have been the majority of fans’ first choice to become Newcastle manager, but what cannot be disputed is the fact that he IS a top-drawer coach. He will get the best out of players, and will be more accurate in pin-pointing a player’s strengths and utilising them to their best ability. This can only help Thauvin, should he arrive, and, in comparison to the terrible man-management of Cabella under Pardew, should see him playing in his best position and thriving in a Newcastle team that, according to reports, have all bought in to the new manager’s vision.

Also, no matter how much quality Cabella has, Thauvin possesses something that cannot be manufactured, and something that the former Montpellier man cannot replicate – Pace.

Thauvin is a speedy winger, but also has quick feet and a deft touch. His turn of speed from a standing start puts defenders on their back foot in an instant, and he looks to have all of the abilities to be a constant menace for full-backs up and down the country.

Pace is almost an essential attribute for wingers in the modern English game, and because of this it should immediately give him an edge over Cabella.

Thauvin has a good touch with both feet, but, even though his favoured position is on the right wing, he is predominantly left-footed. As a result, should he sign, then the prospect of him running at defenders, and them not knowing if he will go to the by-line, or cut inside to shoot, is exciting to say the least.

If we compare Thauvin and Cabella’s Ligue 1 statistics, we find that they are fairly similar.

Thauvin has made a total of 101 Ligue 1 appearances with a total of 6,988 minutes on the pitch, scoring 23 goals with a further 14 assists. Cabella made 114 appearances in France’s top division, and was on the pitch for 7,634 minutes, culminating in 27 goals and 16 assists.

Considering that Thauvin’s achievements have come with him still only being 22, show that he is producing the goods at an earlier age, suggesting that his figures will continue to grow and get better with age. However, Fans should remember that at 22, he should not be expected to yet be the complete, finished article, and he will more than likely need to be given time to adjust fully to the English game. As a result, patience will be the key word for fans, management, media and pundits alike. With that time and the opportunities to flourish, Newcastle may well have a star on their hands.

One thing both players do share though, is their apparent love for a ridiculous haircut! I’ll let you judge that for yourself though!

All in all, it seems that the seeds are in place for Thauvin to blossom into a top player in the game. More importantly for Charnley and Ashley, perhaps, is that he has the potential to realise their aim of developing a player and selling him in a few years for a hefty profit. Certainly, should he put pen to paper, time will tell.

*Cabella v Thauvin 14/15 - respective leagues