7 Things Newcastle Fans Need To Know About Henri Saivet

Perilously positioned in the relegation zone, Newcastle United have wasted no time at all in strengthening their squad. The long-term chase of Jonjo Shelvey looks to be nearing a conclusion, but first through the door is French midfielder Henri Saivet, arriving at the club today for something in the £4.5 million range. A full Senegal international, Saivet was capped by France at almost every youth level before opting to represent the country of his birth. Despite being 25 years old, he has spent his entire professional career at Bordeaux, leaving only for the experience gained at a brief loan switch in lower league France. These are but the most basic of facts and, in the coming days, they'll be trudged up in virtually every report. But, break the surface, and Saivet arguably poses as many questions to Newcastle fans as he does answers. Attracting attention from a number of other English sides (some arguably in more desperate need of his services than Steve McClaren is) there are some good reason why Newcastle have been able to steal the proverbial march on his other suitors. Does this make him a gamble? Perhaps. But a quick look through his career also gives plenty of causes for optimism...