He was one of a number of terrible signings under Mike Ashley’s ownership.
Over the past couple of campaigns, Newcastle United have enjoyed success under Eddie Howe, with the former Bournemouth boss transforming the club.
Before his arrival at St James’ Park, the Magpies had been flirting with relegation back to the Championship, not pulling up any trees in the Premier League.
However, the last two years have been a joy for the club, competing in the Champions League and having the opportunity to secure another season of European football this weekend.
Despite the recent accomplishments, the Magpies have come a long way from where they found themselves under Mike Ashley, with the Saudi PIF’s investment allowing the club to reach their full potential.
The club employed multiple players who simply weren’t up to the level required of a side trying to be successful in the top flight, with one player in particular proving to be a complete waste of money.
Emmanuel Rivière’s career at Newcastle
After joining the club for a reported £6m during the summer of 2014, Emmanuel Rivière arrived at St James’ Park with huge potential following his ten-goal season at Monaco during the 2013/14 campaign.
However, he would fail in his attempts to win over the Magpies faithful, playing just 23 times in his first season on Tyneside, scoring just once in the 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace.
The Frenchman would only feature three times during the following campaign, missing the majority of the term with injury but also falling out of favour.
Rivière would subsequently join Osasuna on loan for the 2015/16 season, failing to score a single goal and proving unable to catapult himself back into the first-team picture at St James’ Park.
He would eventually leave the club on a permanent basis in 2017, joining Metz in his home country, ending his awful three-year stint on Tyneside.
From hero to zero!
Emmanuel Rivière blazes over from just yards out… 🙈 pic.twitter.com/hnwNalA97u
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 8, 2017
Seven years on from his departure, the now 34-year-old is a free agent, without a club since August 2021, after being released by Italian side Crotone, following a record of just one goal in 21 Serie A appearances.
As for his move to Newcastle, it was undoubtedly a disaster for both parties, with his transfer fee and hefty wages bleeding the club dry of a significant amount of money.
How much Emmanuel Rivière earned at Newcastle
During his three years at the club, he spent one year away on loan, with it unknown how much the Spanish side contributed to his weekly wage
However, upon his move to Newcastle, the attacker signed a long-term deal, on a huge £34k-per-week, as per Capology.
When taking into account his two years with the Magpies, Rivière pocketed £3.5m in wages alone – a huge chunk given his tally of one goal in 26 Premier League appearances.
His £6m fee was bad enough, but coupling it with his wages, it saw the club fork out £9.5m for the flop – costing them £365k per appearance he made in the Premier League.
Newcastle’s business in recent times has certainly improved massively, but with the transfer window coming up over the next month, the board need to remember deals such as Rivière when bringing in new players to avoid wasting money in their battle against the league’s FFP rules.
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