Signed from: Deportivo Transfer fee: £5.7million League Appearances: 9 League Goals: 1 Xisco arrived at Newcastle United for a fee of £5.7 million and was reportedly given a weekly wage of £50,000 a week. Now the Spaniard only made nine appearances for the club but he was on the books for five whole years. So, 52 weeks in a year X 5 = 260 X 50,000 = £13,000,000. Overall this means that Xisco's one goal for the Magpies cost the club eight figures... His only goal came on his debut against Hull but it quickly became apparent that he wasnt fit for purpose as a Premier League forward. Four months later we had an attempt to flog him blocked by FIFA who didnt allow a player to be registered to three clubs in one season and he spent the next couple of years going back and forth to Spain for various loan spells. He did briefly return to the club at the start of the 2010/11 campaign and assisted Andy Carrolls hat-trick goal in the 6-0 demolition of Aston Villa a rare highlight. Eventually he was released on a free transfer in January 2013 just four months after scoring a surprise treble of his own in a reserve match against Stoke.
NCTJ-accredited football writer with an MA in Sports Journalism. What Culture football editor. Write for the official Newcastle United programme. Former video reporter at North News. Featured and published in the Sunderland Echo, Shields Gazette, Mail Online, The Mirror, The Sun and others.
