A French top-flight title-winning centre-back making a move to Newcastle United - it sounds familiar, doesn't it? A trip back to 2013 will throw up the name of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa who moved to Tyneside in the winter window but lasted a little over 18 months before being shipped out.
Yanga-Mbiwa had captained Montpellier to the Ligue 1 title in 2011/12 and had built up a reputation as one of the best young central defenders in Europe. Just months before his move to Newcastle, the centre-back had gone on record to speak about links to some of Europe's top clubs such as Barcelona.
It's not too dissimilar to that of Sven Botman - Newcastle's latest signing. Botman helped Lille upset the odds as he played a crucial role in their title win of 2020/21. His performances quickly caught the eye of many scouts around the world - including Newcastle.
