Following yesterday’s 3-2 victory over Chelsea, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew claimed that his new signing, Moussa Sissoko, has already proved to be worth the £1.8 million outlay. But can he follow in the footsteps of Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and others, in becoming a star player for the Magpies?
The 23-year-old has only been at the club 9 days, since signing from Ligue 1 side Toulouse, yet he has already starred in his first two appearances for his new side. Newcastle have now won back-to-back league fixtures for the first time since April, in both these matches Sissoko proved a huge threat. His two goals versus Chelsea only emphasized this point.
At just 23 years old, Sissoko is a star in the making and having already made 220 appearances as a professional, the Frenchman already has a wealth of experience. For the low cost of £1.8m, this transfer has the potential to become the deal of the winter window.
Six from six points in his first two matches for the club is just an indication of the impact Sissoko stands to make. He’s exactly the sort of player Newcastle need to turn their season around.
Pardew has opted to play Sissoko in an attacking midfield position in his first two appearances. Against both Aston Villa and Chelsea, he has led the Newcastle midfield, sitting in just behind Papiss Cisse. The result being two goals and one assist in two appearances. Despite playing as a defensive midfielder for his previous side, the Frenchman already seems to have adapted to his new role with the Magpies.
After the Chelsea match, Pardew spoke to BBC Sport regarding Sissoko’s move to England. “We accelerated [the deal] because he was going to come in summer and he’s paid us back handsomely,” said the Newcastle manager.
“I don’t need to say anything about him because his performance said it all.
“I remember watching him for Toulouse 14 months ago and I thought he is definitely the one for us, if we can get him.
“We watched him and looked at him for a long time and we’d set our sights on him early, which is a good thing.”
Newcastle have made a habit of finding players with huge potential of late and it seems Sissoko is set to follow this pattern. It’s fair to say, from what we’ve seen so far he could certainly become a world class player.
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