The Senegal midfielder struggled to make an impact at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United’s Henri Saivet
Newcastle United moved on plenty of players this summer, including midfielder Henri Saivet.
Signed from Bordeaux in January for a fee reported by the Daily Mail to be in the region of around £4.5 million, the Senegalese midfielder has struggled to have any real impact at the club.
Since the move he played just four times for the club and did not feature since the 1-0 win against West Brom on the 6th February.
Newcastle United’s Henri Saivet in action with West Ham’s Mark Noble
He has been speaking to L’Equipe this week about his struggles at Newcastle, suggesting that clubs in England find it much easier to leave players out, no matter how much they cost:
“In France, the clubs must make a player, putting pressure if necessary. Not in England, where clubs have so many ways that, even if they buy you for €20 million, they can put you on the bench. €30 million, they start to think.
“England is not difficult but complicated in the sense where sometimes you don’t understand all the choices.”
Considering he cost a fraction of those amounts, Saivet was easy to leave aside at Newcastle.
This summer he left the club, heading to Saint-Etienne in France on loan for the season.
Newcastle United’s Seydou Doumbia and Henri Saivet on the substitutes bench
But in the interview the Newcastle-owned midfielder insisted this was not a step-back in his career:
“Stay in England to find myself in the same situation after four games?
“I’m not disgusted but offended. It’s as if I was going backwards.
“This is not a failure. It’s a lesson. Football is a learning experience. “
Saivet does however feel he has improved as a player during his tough Newcastle tenure and insists he would consider a return:
“You’re delivered to yourself in another culture. I believe that I am mentally stronger.
“If it’s again, I would go back, because I’m driven by the desire to show that I can impose myself in the Premier League.”
The 25-year-old has already featured for Les Verts this season and will undoubtedly be looking to catch the eye of watching faces at St James’ Park.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
