Alan Pardew continued his summer spending spree last week with the acquisition of Emmanuel Riviere from Monaco for around £6 million. The 24-year-old frontman is the fifth new signing to arrive on Tyneside as the Magpies manager looks to improve his options in the final third after loan signing Loic Remy returned to parent club QPR.
With out-of-contract Shola Ameobi also leaving and Papiss Cisse sidelined for a number of months due to a broken kneecap, Pardew was clearly delighted to land one of his long-term targets:
“This is an important signing because we know that in the striking department, with Papiss (Cisse) injured, we needed to improve that area. We have looked at Emmanuel for a while and we know he will score goals for us. Now we have an offensive line that will threaten the best Premier League sides with Emmanuel, Remy Cabella and Siem de Jong all on board.”
The new boy was similarly pleased with the move, admitting that his move to the English top-flight has realised a lifelong ambition:
“My dream was always to play in the Premier League and so when Newcastle called me, I said yes. I am a striker who is fast and strong, and I score goals. I think my characteristics are good for the Premier League. I love space to run and tire out defenders, and I work for the team. I want to adapt quickly to the Premier League because it is not Ligue 1. They are very different. I will work hard to adapt fast, and to play for Newcastle.”
The History
Born in Martinique, Riviere joined the youth ranks of Espoir Saint-Luce back in 1996 before his performances at the Clairefontaine academy persuaded Saint Etienne to snap him up as a 15-year-old. Handed a first-team debut during 2008/09, he managed nine goals and three assists in 38 Ligue 1 games over his first couple of campaigns before eight goals and 10 assists in 2010/11 caught the attention of Toulouse.
Riviere spent two years at his new club, though his form was hardly prolific – nine goals and two assists from 44 league matches later, he joined Monaco in January 2013. After serving up four goals and a couple of assists in 14 appearances over his first few months, the 24-year-old turned in the most prolific season of his career last term, netting 10 times from 30 appearances in Ligue 1.
At international level, Riviere has represented France at every level from Under 16 to Under 21 and scored nine times from a total of 34 appearances.
The Prospects
Versatile enough to also be fielded out wide, Riviere’s fleet of foot is likely to see him play on the shoulder of the last defender in the Magpies’ lone forward role, as Pardew looks for a like-for-like replacement for Loic Remy. With 14 strikes and three assists in 26 appearances on loan last time round, the latter scored at least twice as many goals as any Newcastle player but his subsequent return to parent club QPR has left a huge gap to fill.
After netting just 43 times in 2013/14, Newcastle clearly need bolstering in attacking areas. As Remy and Yohan Cabaye both proved, though, there’s Fantasy potential in Pardew’s squad and the Magpies manager will be hoping that Riviere – reasonably priced at 7.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and 7.1 in the Sky Sports game – can thrive up front after a summer of investment has added a much-needed creativity to the Tyneside team, with fellow new boys Siem de Jong and Remy Cabella looking canny business by Pardew.
Bearing in mind he’s only hit double figures once, there’s a degree of doubt over Riviere’s ability to make an instant impact. To begin with, those seeking to invest in the new-look Newcastle may turn to de Jong, in particular, as a viable option. Purchased as a replacement for Cabaye, the former Ajax skipper is expected to be fielded in “the hole” behind Riviere and arrives in the North East with an excellent record – scoring 10 or more goals in four of his last five seasons (also managing seven in 19 appearances last term), his classification as a midfielder (7.0 in FPL, 6.2 in the Sky Sports game) across the Fantasy games is also of particular interest.
If Riviere can quickly settle to the Premier League, though, he has the potential to flourish amid an opening schedule that smiles fairly kindly on Pardew’s side. Following a testing Gameweek 1 visit to City, Newcastle face just one of last term’s top eight in their following seven matches – with Palace, Hull and Leicester paying visit, and trips to the likes of Villa and Swansea also on their early agenda, his early form certainly looks worth monitoring for those on the lookout for a mid-price option up top.
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