Newcastle’s first foray into the winter transfer market saw Steve McClaren sign Henri Saivet from Bordeaux on a five-and-a-half year deal. Arriving on Tyneside for a reported fee of £4m, the versatile Senegalese international revealed he has already discussed his new position with the Magpies boss:
“Holding midfield. I talked to him (McClaren), and he even surprised me. I did not think he would know me as well but he could tell me about my game in much detail. He has already seen some footage on video of me and he had enjoyed it, and said that it was important in the Premier League.”
The History
Saivet rose through the youth ranks at Bordeaux before signing a professional contract with the club back in 2007. Although he was handed a first start the following season, Saivet found it difficult to establish himself as a regular and played just 11 times in his first four years in Ligue A.
Farmed out on loan to lower-league outfit Angers in 2009/10, Saivet produced three goals and as many assists in 18 outings before returning to his parent club the following season. After serving up just one goal and three assists in his first year back in Bordeaux, the five-foot-nine-inch Saivet thrived in an advanced role over the next two seasons, with 14 goals and seven assists in 67 league matches drawing comparisons with Thierry Henry.
Saivet’s versatility saw him drop into a deep-lying midfield berth over the past two years, however, and with a knee injury curtailing his pitch time at the start of last season, he’s managed just two goals in his last 32 Ligue 1 outings.
On the international front, he represented France at every youth level from Under 16 to Under 21, where he notched 22 times in 52 appearances. Saivet has since turned out nine times for Senegal, making his debut in 2013, though has yet to find the net.
The Prospects
Discussing his new acquisition with the club’s official website, McClaren revealed that the adaptable Saivet can be expected to make an immediate impression on his first-team plans:
“He is a winner and a tough player, which is what you need to be in the Premier League. Henri has a focussed look about him and we will certainly need that in the coming months. He has got to be ready to impact the team straight away and I’m looking forward to working with him and seeing him play for this team. Henri has progressed from being a wide player and a number ten to dropping down into a defensive midfield role, which he has done very well. He is a player who can make an impact now and will have a very good future at this Club. Henri can play in a range of positions across the field and that versatility and flexibility is important to any squad.”
McClaren has mainly relied on Jack Colback and Vurnon Anita in the double-pivot this term, though the latter’s injury problems have seen Cheick Tiote return to first-team contention in recent outings. Colback chalked up an impressive four goals and seven assists last season but has failed to produce any attacking returns in McClaren’s first year at the helm, averaging an effort every 206 minutes. Saivet, meanwhile, averaged 57.8 minutes per attempt on goal for Bordeaux this year, highlighting his increased threat from the centre of the park.
Ultimately, though, Saivet has been acquired for his battling qualities, with his arrival expected to afford Newcastle greater industry and mobility in the centre of the park. Delving into the data, the new boy sits fourth in Ligue 1 for successful tackles (68) this season, which is more than any midfielder in the Premier League and only five less than Colback and Anita (37 and 36) combined. Given that Newcastle sit second-bottom of the league for goals conceded (38), it’s easy to see why their manager has been keen to acquire a screening presence in front of the back-four.
Both Saivet and fellow new boy Jonjo Shelvey are poised to make their debuts in this weekend’s home encounter with West Ham, as the Magpies look to build on last night’s late comeback draw against Man United. In terms of tactics, if McClaren continues with the 4-2-3-1 set-up he’s mainly utilised since arriving from Derby last summer, it remains to be seen where Colback fits into his plans. Should the latter retain his starting berth alongside Saivet in front of the back-four, Shelvey – priced at 5.3 in Fantasy Premier League – could be the main beneficiary here, with the former Swansea man moved into an advanced support role behind a lone striker.
For now, Georginio Wijnaldum remains the Magpies’ main Fantasy candidate. Despite his team’s toils, the 6.8-priced Dutchman moved to fourth in the FPL midfield standings overnight, courtesy of a strike in the 3-3 draw with United – his eighth goal of the campaign.
With a decent run of fixtures over the next four (WHU, wat, eve, WBA), Newcastle will be afforded the chance to string together a run that could see them clamber out of the bottom three. Likely to come in around the 5.5-mark in FPL, Saivet is unlikely to stake a claim for our five-man midfields, with the likes of Dele Alli and Michail Antonio currently proving far more attack-minded alternatives in the budget bracket.
