Given Newcastle United’s current position in the Premier League’s relegation zone, it remains somewhat hard to believe that roughly £50million was in-fact spent on new players down at St. James’ throughout the summer transfer window.

Although the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Chancel Mbemba and Georginio Wijnaldum have all shown shades of varying degrees of talent for Steve McClaren’s struggling outfit so far this term, it seems as if the Tyneside hierarchy somehow needed to pour even more of their resources into the Magpies starting XI, in order to enjoy a successful campaign in 2015/16.

However, one man who has certainly failed to live up to his hefty price-tag more than most in the North East this season  arrives in the form of 22-year-old French midfielder – Florian Thauvin. For one reason or another, the former Marseille man has simply failed to cut it at St. James’ despite seemingly offering a fair degree of potential on first impressions alone.

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So then, is there still light at the end of the tunnel for the out-of-sorts play-maker this season, or does Florian Thauvin in-fact represent Newcastle United’s worst piece of business on the transfer market in recent memory?

Well, if the Frenchman’s entire game were to be based in his form – or glaring lack of – out on the pitch for Steve McClaren’s side this season, then perhaps the least said about this underperforming no. 20, the better…

Put in no uncertain terms whatsoever, Florian Thauvin has simply proven not only the worst purchase on Tyneside this season, but perhaps the least effective capture across the entire Premier League spectrum itself. For a not to be sniffed at fee of around £12million this summer, Newcastle United indeed look to have been ripped off considerably with all things fairly taken into account.

The former Marseille man has failed to register a single league goal or assist to his name so far this season, he has clearly struggled to adapt to the testing nature of the English top-flight, and has also drifted out of far too many important games for the Magpies to be taken seriously in 2015/16.

Yet as Florian Thauvin was incidentally singled out as one of the worst performers in the entire French first division last season, maybe the former Ligue 1 man was bound to struggle this term regardless of whichever team eventually picked up his signature throughout the summer transfer window.

He has simply shown none of so-called potential that saw him burst onto the scene with Marseille in the first place, Thauvin’s physical stature seems somewhat unsuited to the Premier League on initial appearances alone – and although no player sets out to perform badly when given the chance to express themselves out on the field – the out of form 22-year-old looks as if he also lacks the mental determination to make it at Newcastle.

However, to label Florian Thauvin the out-in-out worst Magpies capture in recent memory would seem a tad unfair. After all, last season’s ill-fated signings of both Emmanuel Riviere and Facundo Ferreya could easily claim such a title for their own individual lack of impact at St. James’ – and the name ‘Xisco’ certainly can’t be forgotten.

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Although Thauvin has admittedly failed to do the business when given the rare starting opportunity for Newcastle, Steve McClaren arguably hasn’t been bold enough to issue the struggling Frenchman with enough chances on Tyneside to truly make something meaningful happen.

A decent player potentially still resides somewhere within Florian Thauvin at the minute, but whether or not Newcastle can afford to persevere with such a luxury in the midst of a clear relegation dog-fight remains another matter altogether.

Had the no. 20 eventually joined up with Newcastle during more stable times on Tyneside, then the St. James’ Park faithful would have likely witnessed a lot more from the out of sorts 22-year-old by now. The overall responsibility for Thauvin’s failure to make a name for himself this season arguably doesn’t even reside with the player himself, for surely the Magpies scouting system have already experienced one too many Ligue 1 disappointments to know better by now.

Yet if the often flawed St. James’ hierarchy simply fail to stop indulging themselves in their consistent dose of French fancies throughout the course of the January transfer window, then the threat of relegation will simply become all too real for Steve McClaren’s current outfit if his bosses aren’t careful.

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