Cabella to Add to French Contingent at Newcastle

Newcastle have been linked with a £4 million bid for Montpellier playmaker Rémy Cabella as Alan Pardew looks to add to his already revitalised squad.

It is a widely held belief that Pardew needs to add one or two names to his side this January to help them maintain the form that has seen them rise to eight in the Premier League table. Consecutive 1-0 defeats to Arsenal and West Brom – as well as a tie with rampant Manchester City on the horizon – only add credence to this claim.

Should Cabella join, he will become the eleventh French player in the Magpies squad, following a heavy recruitment drive by the club twelve months ago, which was characterised by the purchase of numerous players from across the channel. Minor additions are needed on this occasion, rather than the sweeping changes which caused such short-term disruption last January.

Best employed as an attacking midfielder, Cabella was part of the Montpellier side who surprisingly beat Paris St. Germain to the Ligue 1 title during the 2011-12 season; the season during which the Paris side were taken over by the Qatar Investment Authority. Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud was also a part of that Montpellier side, and though his adjustment has taken time, Cabella will help to emulate Giroud’s success should he join the Magpies.