Rémy Cabella is close to completing a move to Newcastle United from Montpellier for around £7m. Alan Pardew regards the 24-year-old playmaker as an ideal replacement for Yohan Cabaye who was sorely missed at St James’ Park after his £20m move to Paris Saint-Germain in January.
Newcastle’s manager tried and failed to sign Cabella during that transfer window but now it seems a player currently on Didier Deschamps’ standby list for the Brazil-bound France World Cup squad really could be heading towards Tyneside.
The recruitment of Cabella promises to end Pardew’s disastrous attempt to make his team much more direct in the wake of Cabaye’s departure. If Newcastle fans will welcome a reversion to more of a controlled passing game, they should also be relieved that Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s owner, seems set to deliver on promises to invest significantly in reconstructing the squad this summer.
Newcastle struggled horribly to score goals from midfield after Cabaye’s exit but Cabella, who has an Italian father, managed an encouraging 14 in 41 Ligue One appearances for Montpellier last season.
A fast, agile and creative attacking midfielder he is capable of operating on either wing or behind the main striker as well as in a slightly deeper playmaking role.
While Pardew is determined to restock his heavily Francophone dressing room with more British players this summer Cabella – a creator tracked for many months by Graham Carr, Newcastle’s influential chief scout – always ranked high on his shopping list.