Newcastle United paid £2m to sign Massadio Haidara in 2013 but he struggled for game time in the Premier League before moving back to France with Lens.
Massadio Haidara has admitted to The Chronicle that he is open to the idea of returning to Newcastle United one day in the future.
A Mali international who moved to St James’ Park as part of Graham Carr’s infamous Francophile recruitment drive in 2013, alongside Mathieu Debuchy, Yoan Gouffran, Moussa Sissoko and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara is now back across the Channel with second-tier Lens.
The £2 million Haidara showed plenty of promise in his early days on Tyneside but a series of injuries left his Newcastle career in ruins. The Paris-born flyer made just a pair league appearances in his final two seasons in England and joined Lens on a free in 2018 when his contract expired.
Understandably, Haidara appears to have unfinished business at Newcastle and would not rule out puling on the famous black and white stripes once again.
“Why not come back one day to England, or to Newcastle? I still follow Newcastle. It’s a club where I spent a lot of time, where I’ve got a lot of friends – it’s home to me,” Haidara has admitted.
“I still get messages from Newcastle fans on social media who still give me affection. That’s really something special.
“From the moment I arrived they always supported me, whether that be during the tough times or the moments when it was going better.
“That’s something that’s always left a mark on me and which remains in my memory.”
Left-back has been a problem position for many a year at Newcastle and, with Jetro Willems returning to Frankfurt after an ill-timed injury cut his loan spell short, The Magpies could be in the market for reinforcements once more come the summer.
But while Haidara is back playing regularly in France, producing four assists in 21 games for Lens, it seems very unlikely as it stands that a second chance on Tyneside is about to come his way.
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