Update: As Marseille secured Europa League football on the final day of the Ligue 1 season, Florian Thauvin was voted the club's player of the year after a stellar campaign that saw him called into the French national squad instead of Anthony Martial for the summer internationals.
Having seen how good he has been for the club with which he made his name, it makes his disastrous spell on Tyneside all the more curious.
Originally published on January 31, 2016:
Florian Thauvin is returning to Marseille on loan, after yet another failed Ligue 1 signing, with Newcastle willing to wash their hands of a player who contributed absolutely nothing despite arriving with a good reputation.
Well, he did contribute somthing, as he played a part in one of the more enjoyable post-match report player ratings we've ever read, as the Toon crashed out of the Capital One Cup at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday back in September.
Wednesday came away from St.James' Park with a 1-0 win to a chorus of boos as Newcastle fans were furious at how their side had performed, but one player in particular was singled out by Mail Online journalist Craig Hope, who explained exactly why he have new signing Florian Thauvin the lowest possible rating of 1/10 for his 45 minutes on the pitch.
For the first time in nine years covering football matches, I awarded a merit mark of '1' this week.
Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin was the recipient of the paltry point. It was not, however, a decision I arrived at lightly.
For this was the worst 45-minute performance by an individual that I have witnessed in my capacity as a reporter. Not just that, but I also considered the opposition – in effect, Sheffield Wednesday's reserves – and the fact that Thauvin is a £13million France Under 21 international who hopes to win a place at Euro 2016.
Surely on a balmy night under the lights at St James' Park the 22-year-old would seize his chance to shine? He certainly stood out, I'll give him that.
Hope went into excruciating detail in describing Thauvin's night but another part which stuck out to us was the following:
But it was the player's body language which caused most alarm, a laissez-faire acceptance of not being very good and seemingly unwilling to work hard to right his wrongs.
Perhaps Newcastle's transfer committee should have taken more notice of L'Equipe's readers when they voted him into the worst XI in Ligue 1 last season.
Ouch.
The full article paints a picture of Steve McClaren being totally fed up with a player that was clearly signed for him, so it's very understandable that he is set to return home to France already.
We've seen some frivilous purchases in the Premier League in recent times, but none may be more wasteful than £13m on Florian Thauvin, you can read the article in full here.
