There are few Premier League footballers who have burnt out so quickly as Newcastle United’s Papiss Demba Cisse. The Senegalese ace made such an impact during his arrival at St James’ Park, that it looked like he was here to stay.
Instead, he only managed to make headlines during his first season in English football. After that point he struggled to make his mark.
The season before Newcastle signed him, the Papiss Cisse scored 22 goals for FC Freiburg. That remains the record number of goals scored by an African in the Bundesliga. It’s easy to see what the Magpies saw in him.
As it happens, he continued his fine form upon arrival in the Premier League. During his first season with the Toon he scored 13 goals in 14 appearances. He was touted by many as the man who would lift Newcastle United to bigger and better things. Some thought he would lead the Magpies to silverware during the 2012-13 season.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be the case. He struggled (as did the entire team) and only managed to score 13 goals in 47 games. That’s the same return he delivered during his first season at the club, but in three times the number of games.
And we’ve watched him struggle this season too. Thus far he’s scored 1 goal in 15 games. That’s just not good enough for a striker of his caliber. He can’t simply have lost it, can he?
With the Wonga scandal over the summer, I can’t help but wonder if Papiss Cisse’s heart is still in it. He’s failing to deliver on the pitch and it’s difficult to see how he can turn things around at the moment.
With the January transfer window approaching, there’s been a fair amount of talk about the player’s future. So perhaps it’s time for the 28-year-old to move on?
As it happens, The Mirror claim that Newcastle are expecting to sell Papiss Cisse for £10m, with clubs like Rubin Kazan, Anzhi Makhachkala and Borussia Dortmund thought to be interested . If that’s true, it’d represent a fantastic return for a player who has offered very little in recent times.
But I find it a little too good to be true. Given his age and his form, there’s just no chance that he can command this kind of price-tag.
This may be a case where Newcastle need to suck it up and take whatever they can. Clearing him off the wage bill will be a step forward. That’s especially true if Alan Pardew has lined up somebody to replace him.
Here’s hoping!
What’s your take? Is it time for Newcastle to cut their losses when it comes to Demba Papiss Cisse?
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Get rid of him and sign a good No. 9