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Why do Premier League teams like Newcastle continue to plunder France for footballing talent?

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Frenchmen in England don’t have the best reputation as day-to-day life goes; labelled as frog-eating garlic-smelling owners of hairy wifes, isn’t the best tagline to describe the men from across the channel.

Take the French footballers that inhabit England, however, and you have a different story. The Premier League has 650 players registered from 68 countries and apart from Englishmen, the best represented country is France.

France contributes to The Premier League with 32 players and only five teams have a squad absent of any of  Les Tricolores’ eligible players. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal have the most Frenchmen in their 25-man squad with 20% of Wenger’s team coming from his home country.

However, Newcastle are the team this season plying their transfer activity in France. Although both The Gunners and Blackburn have as many or more Frenchmen than The Toon Army, it is the sudden influx of Ligue 1 based players to the Tyneside club that has grabbed the attention of other clubs now having their heads turned by the cream of the crop available by crossing the channel.

A quick look at the Newcastle team sheet will only afford you four Frenchmen and they’re all midfielders; Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan, however if you look at where Pardew’s been conducting his scouting and most of his transfer activity, France will be your destination.

A brief glance at past and present French stars in the Premier League and any justification needed is found; Barthez, Sagna,  Desailly, Gallas, Evra, Makelele, Viera, Pires, Ginola, Cantona and Henry, to name a pretty competent XI.

Much of Newcastle’s activity can be attributed to just one man: Graham Carr, former manager-turned-scout, who has previously worked under David Pleat and Sven Goran-Eriksson. The father of television’s Chatty Man, Alan Carr, was hired in February 2010 and the man has wasted no time in making his work and knowledge Newcastle’s gain and talent.

Since his position at St. James’ Park, yes I said St. James’ Park, as chief scout start over 18 months ago, Carr has overseen the transfers of all four of Newcastle’s Les Bleus’, as well as Davide Santon, Cheick Tiote and Demba Ba. Not only is this a highly European ensemble, but it is a talented core that can arguably lead Newcastle back to Europe. But why are the English clubs choosing to plunder France of their talent?

Well firstly, taking Newcastle’s example, Carr states that wages and convenience are the cornerstone of the availability of French stars to the Premier League, “Our strategy is quite clear. We have realistic targets. We are not going to pay £20M for anybody,” stating in no uncertain terms that the days of signing Owens and Kluiverts, just for neither to score prolifically are over, “What we are looking for are good players at the right age and at the right price.”

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Budding Football journalist who blogs at www.maycauseoffence.com/ daily as well as writing here for ThisisFutbol and on www.onehellofabeating.com/ the England fan's page. Outside of writing is more football. I work at Southampton F.C and I manage a men's football team on Saturdays.

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