At times under Alan Pardew last season, Yoan Gouffran looked almost undroppable. Week after week the Frenchman would churn out poor performances with minimal effort, yet still keep Remy Cabella and Rolando Aarons on the bench.
Several months on and Gouffran now finds himself on the fringes of the senior squad.
Steve McClaren has found little use for the 29-year-old and has only turned to him twice this season – in the League Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday and a 6-1 defeat to Manchester City. On both occasions, Gouffran’s performances were poor and certainly didn’t warrant him retaining his spot in the side.
The emergence of Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko as McClaren’s first-choice wingers, with Rolando Aarons and Florian Thauvin waiting in the wings, almost rules out Yoan Gouffran returning to the senior squad (at least until the next cup game against lower league opposition).
With the emergency loan deadline soon to be upon us, Gouffran may be offered out on loan, with several Championship sides, including Charlton Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers, emerging as potential destinations, according to The Chronicle.
One potential stumbling block is Gouffran’s unwillingness to depart from St James’ Park. As it stands, with eighteen months remaining on his contract, the Frenchman is keen to stay and fight for his place on Tyneside.
