Former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is a universally unpopular figure at St James’ Park as a result of his dismal spell at the helm, although one masterstroke that the businessman was able to pull off was the signing – and subsequent sale – of defender, Mathieu Debuchy.
The impressive right-back arrived amid an influx of French talent on Tyneside in the early 2010’s during Alan Pardew’s time in charge, with the Magpies finally getting their man in January 2013 having seen a bid rejected for the player the previous summer.
The 5 foot 9 ace – who had started all four of his nation’s games at Euro 2012 – appeared something of a bargain for the northeast side, as they managed to secure his services from Ligue 1 side Lille for a reported fee of just £5m.
After racking up 308 appearances in all competitions during his time at his former club, recording 35 goal contributions in that time, the experienced ace went on to quickly become a prominent figure for the Premier League side following his arrival in England.
The Fretin-born star would go on to make 46 appearances for the club in all competitions over the next 18 months, notably endearing himself to the Newcastle faithful after scoring his one and only goal in the Tyne-Wear derby clash with Sunderland in October 2013.
Such impressive displays did not go unnoticed, however, with fellow top-flight side Arsenal swooping in to make a move in the summer of 2014, after the 27-cap ace had again played a prominent role for Les Bleus at that year’s World Cup – starting four of France’s five games in the competition.
To Ashley’s credit, he was reportedly able to recoup a fee of around £12m as a result of the defender’s move to the Emirates, with that representing a sizeable profit on the Magpies’ initial investment.
Debuchy would go on to endure an injury-ravaged stint in north London, notably picking up an ankle injury just a matter of months into his time with the Gunners, before dislocating his shoulder in a clash with Stoke City in January 2015, after colliding with the advertising hoardings following a push from Marko Arnautovic.
Despite returning from that issue, the emergence of young Hector Bellerin saw him fail to regain his place in the side, eventually returning to his homeland to join Bordeaux on a loan deal in January 2016.
After making just 30 appearances in all competitions during his three-and-a-half-year stint under Arsene Wenger, the aggressive full-back ultimately joined Saint-Etienne in January 2018, with Arsenal taking a costly hit after seeing the player move on a free transfer.
The veteran gem went on to enjoy something of a resurgence at the club as he scored 12 goals and registered seven assists in 97 games over the next few seasons, with the 37-year-old currently plying his trade in the second division of French football with Valenciennes.
The ageing asset – who now typically lines up at centre-back – was only recently sent off in a defeat to Pau FC, with it having been something of a fall from grace since his impressive spell at St James’ Park.