10 Things Newcastle Fans Need To Know About Florian Thauvin

Newcastle United are on the brink of signing Marseille winger, Florian Thauvin for a fee of £12 million that would see Remy Cabella move in the opposite direction. Initially the deal looked questionable with L'OM paying ‚15 million for their French midfielder in 2013, and the Magpies signing Cabella from Montpellier for around £12 million last year. Thauvin's estimation would have to be around ‚30 million for the deal to make financial sense and the wide-spread consensus from a handful of French football experts generally confirmed that wasn't the case. Away from the distasteful chat of economically beneficial football decisions the transfer would represent another colourful bit of business from Newcastle United. Although not being able to play centre back, Thauvin would add a more compact and direct attacking threat, something the Magpies have lacked during their opening two Barclays Premier League games. The Frenchman can operate on either flank and likes to dribble, take on defenders and can be highly effective on the counter-attack. So far this season, Gabriel Obertan has been the only creative player going forward and it's questionable whether he will be able to maintain his form. In terms of Cabella, it seems his worth has magnified since the announcement he might be loaned out to Marseille as part of the transfer deal. Despite occasional flashes of excellence, the former Montpellier title winner doesn't possess the same raw confidence that he clearly demonstrated in France and was disappointing during his first season in the Premier League. With that said, most fans were excited about the prospect of a fully-fit, more experienced and tougher Cabella bursting onto the scene this year and it's a shame that Steve McClaren doesn't see him as a player worthy of a first-team spot. Here, WhatCulture.com/NUFC reveals everything Newcastle fans need to know about Florian Thauvin (we think he's better than Cabella, see if you agree...)