If we were to say Henri Saivet, Newcastle United supporters could be forgiven for responding with… who? Signed from Bordeaux in January 2016, the Senegalese international made just five Premier League appearances in over half a decade on Tyneside.
A lot of his time at Newcastle was spent on loan at other clubs, with three temporary spells away before finally being released last year. Transfer fees and wages combined, Saivet cost Newcastle just shy of £16million. For context, that equates to £3.2million per top-flight appearance. The Magpies signed the midfielder in desperation when they tried - and ultimately failed - to maintain their Premier League status.
Recruitment was patchy at St James’ Park under Mike Ashley. It was not all bad, with Graham Carr’s insight helping unearth gems like Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye and Ayoze Perez for pennies. That record was balanced out by the Xiscos, Saivets and Emmanuel Riviere who ended up raking in unjustifiable sums of money for little contribution in return.
