Henri Saivet’s Newcastle career has been a strange one. Signed in the 2016 January transfer window by the recruitment team headed by Graham Carr, the Senegalese international was rarely given games following Rafa Benitez’s appointment a couple of months after his arrival.
The 27-year-old looks poised to sign for Turkish club Bursaspor on loan; his third temporary move in the last two years. He has previously spent a year with Saint-Etienne and six months at another Turkish side Sivasspor.
I asked fans whether another loan spell for Saivet was a good idea, and it seems people are split on the Senegalese leaving:
The midfielder is still under halfway through his five and a half year deal, and with no sign of him leaving on a permanent deal, there is an argument to be made he could have been better off staying.
We are not blessed with a wealth of midfield talent, and Saivet’s ability to play as an offensive midfielder could have made him a possible understudy for Jonjo Shelvey. However, Rafa is the one who sees the player every day in training, and if he doesn’t feel he has what it takes for the Premier League then who am I to argue.
If he does well on loan at Bursaspor then hopefully, he can secure a permanent switch to Turkey.