Loic Remy: A Good Yet Underwhelming Signing

Loic Remy is a quality player, the type that nearly every team in the Premier League would be happy to add.

He also has a potential rape charge hanging over him, a medical scare in his past and a burgeoning reputation as a mercenary — which is why I couldn't bring myself to jump on Twitter and excitedly hammer out a message of jubilation congratulating Joe Kinnear on getting Remy "over the line."

Look, I get why Newcastle signed Remy. By only taking him on loan — even for a fairly pricy £2 million fee — the club is protecing itself against Remy's legal situation, while also positioning itself to sign him permanently next summer should he perform as expected. Mark Douglas of The Journal reports that the deal includes an option to buy Remy outright for £7 million next summer.

Remy should add some much-needed punch to Newcastle's attack while immediately enhancing Alan Pardew's tactical options. The 26-year-old can play as a wide forward, a lead striker or a withdrawn attacker, and has scored everywhere he's been since first getting regular starts with Nice in 2008. QPR was terrible last season and Remy still managed to score six goals and generally look dangerous. Based on his on-field production, it's a no-doubt-about-it signing.

But then there are the off-the-field issues, starting with a rape accusation that led to his arrest in London in May. We have to be careful not to prematurely convict Remy, who could be charged next month but has denied any wrongdoing. Still, it's not exactly an ideal situation for your first major signing of the summer.

Remy also opted to bail on a trip to Newcastle to sign for QPR in January, choosing to join a surefire relegated club in a blatant money grab. Yes, it's a business and players want and need to get paid. But Remy can't expect to be viewed as a player whose top priority is team success. Call me old-fashioned or naive, but that bothers me.

In the end, Remy may very well turn out to be a great signing for Newcastle. The rape charge might never materialize. He could have the sort of season that locks up a spot in France's World Cup squad. He could find that he's content in Newcastle's ever-increasingly French team and decide not to jump for a bigger payday at the first opportunity.

Until that happens, though, I don't plan on celebrating his signing.

Comments

[Paul]

Completely agree. Of the three options we were considered to be chasing, I'd say he's the best player, but there are serious reservations to be overcome.

Can't believe we are still sniffing around Bent though.

[Steven GJ]

Wow what a surprise a Newcastle Untied fan not happy

[Punter]

I've been scanning the Brit blogs and, to make a sweeping generalization, the American Toon fans seem more disturbed by the rape accusations than their UK counterparts. Not sure what it means -- just an observation.