Newcastle moved to bolster their back-four on Friday afternoon with the capture of French international Mathieu Debuchy on a five-and-a-half-year deal. The 27-year-old right-back moves to Tyneside for an undisclosed fee from Ligue 1 outfit Lille and is a significant boost for Alan Pardew as he looks to engineer a climb up the table:
A long-term target of the Magpies manager, Debuchy was close to arriving last summer and, following a campaign that has seen his first-team decimated with injuries, Pardew has wasted little time in clinching the deal this time round – a fact he is clearly thrilled with:
“We are absolutely delighted to have finally secured the signature of Mathieu. It’s no secret we’ve been trailing him for some time now and to have reached this point fills me with great excitement and anticipation in respect of what he will be able to offer the team. At the same time it’s a huge relief to actually have him with us now. He is an established top international player and it is a real coup for this Club that we now have him at St. James’ Park. Mathieu will add real quality to our team, in terms of his ability, character and experience and I am sure he will quickly become a firm favourite among our fans too.”
The Statistics
Debuchy has been a one-club man until this month. Starting in the Lille youth system, he made his debut in the 2003-04 campaign and, quickly establishing himself as a first-team regular, has turned out for the French club for the past 10 seasons. His displays at both ends of the pitch were crucial in helping Lille achieve a league and cup double in 2010/12 – the first time they have managed to do so since the 1945-46 season. Making a total of 231 appearances, he returned 16 goals and 13 assists, finding the net five times in the previous campaign. The full-back has also represented his country on 12 occasions, supplying a goal and a pair of assists.
The Prospects
Given Pardew’s determination to acquire his services, there seems little doubt Debuchy will be installed as an integral member of the Newcastle first XI. With previous first-choice right-back Danny Simpson currently injured, the new boy is likely to be handed an immediate chance to impress as the Magpies attempt to climb the table, following a bitterly disappointing first five months of the season.
Sitting just two points off the drop zone, Newcastle’s defence have been a pale imitation of the one that produced 15 clean sheets last time round. So far, they have managed to keep out their opponents on three occasions and have conceded 39 goals – just two less than the league’s worst defence, Aston Villa. With two or more goals conceded in eight of their last 10 Gameweeks, it’s more than apparent the Magpies need a shot in the arm – Debuchy is convinced his arrival could have the desired effect:
“I will play like I used to for Lille, with the same qualities. I don’t leave anything on the field and give more, and I hope I will bring a lot to this team. I like attacking. I like getting forward down the right and I will always be strong in the challenge. Don’t forget, the most important thing is to defend. After that, if I feel better, I can bring something extra for the attackers. I hope I can be ready as soon as possible, to bring something new to the team.”
Likely to come in around the 5.0 mark in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Debuchy’s combative nature, allied with his delivery from the flank will be key for the Magpies. With Pardew hopeful that many of his key regulars, including Steven Taylor, Hatem Ben Arfa, Jonas Gutierrez and Yohan Cabaye, could be back before next month, it’s difficult to see Newcastle fare quite as badly over the remainder of the season.
If the injuries dissipate, an upturn in solidity looks likely and Debuchy’s attacking sensibilities are likely to catch the eye, with Pardew looking for him to supply width from deep if, as expected, the Magpies revert to 4-3-3 in light of Demba Ba’s departure. Fantasy managers will be understandably wary for now but the new boy could well be barging his way onto radars if he can replicate his rampaging Ligue 1 form in his new surrounds.
