Five who played for both Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United meet in the Champions League this evening.

Both teams face their final fixture of the 2025-26 league phase with a place in the last 16 at stake. Ahead of their meeting at the Parc des Princes, we’ve remembered five of the best players to have represented both clubs.

Sylvain Distin

Having risen from amateur football in France to Ligue 1, Sylvain Distin made 45 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain before piquing the interest of Premier League clubs.

Newcastle signed the centre-back on loan during the 2001-02 season and made 35 appearances in all competitions as the Magpies finished fourth to secure Champions League qualification.

Despite featuring regularly, Newcastle opted against signing Distin on a permanent deal. It was an oversight that the club perhaps came to regret as Distin enjoyed a long Premier League career, making 469 appearances across spells at Manchester City, Portsmouth, Everton, and Bournemouth.

He won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008 and earned club Player of the Season Awards at both City and Everton.

Laurent Robert

Newcastle United paid £10m to sign Laurent Robert from Paris Saint-Germain in 2001, then the third-highest fee in the club’s history. Robert had shone during two seasons in Paris, where he scored 34 goals in 85 games before helping France to the 2001 Confederations Cup.

The mercurial winger was a huge hit at St James’ Park, making an immediate impact with a stunning free-kick in a 4–3 win over defending champions Manchester United. Robert scored five free-kicks during his debut season, delivering a reputation as a set-piece specialist. His 11 free-kicks in the Premier League have been bettered by just five players.

Robert made 181 appearances for the Magpies before departing for Portsmouth after a fall-out with the club.

Golazo Merchants: Laurent Robert, Newcastle’s frustrating genius

Hatem Ben Arfa

Another French flair player who dazzled in spells in the North East. Newcastle’s signing of Hatem Ben Arfa was considered a coup in 2010, as the winger joined from Marseille on an initial loan.

Ben Arfa never quite fulfilled his vast potential in England, but delivered some exceptional moments. Individual goals against Blackburn and Bolton remain some of the best Newcastle fans have witnessed this century.

After falling out of favour, Ben Arfa moved to Hull on loan before returning to France with Nice. In 2016, he signed for PSG after scoring 18 goals in 37 matches for Nice the previous season. He scored four times in 32 games and won a Coupe de la Ligue and Coupe de France double during his debut season, but struggled to nail down a starting role.

Yohan Cabaye

Newcastle secured the services of Yohan Cabaye from Lille after the midfielder had played a key role in the French side’s shock Ligue 1 title win in 2010-11.

Cabaye quickly became an important part of the set-up at St James’ Park, as Newcastle finished fifth in his debut season to secure Europa League qualification.

Cabaye’s contributions over three seasons saw interest emerge from Paris Saint-Germain, who spent £19m to sign the midfielder in January 2014.

He won back-to-back Ligue 1 titles at PSG but struggled for regular starts. He returned to the Premier League with Crystal Palace after 18 months at the Parc des Princes.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Georginio Wijnaldum’s time at both Newcastle and PSG was brief. A marquee signing for Newcastle from PSV Eindhoven, the midfielder made an immediate impact in the Premier League. He was Newcastle’s top scorer in the Premier League with 11 goals in 2015-16, including four in one game against Norwich, but relegation meant he moved on.

Liverpool signed the Dutchman, and Wijnaldum was a key part of the club’s success under Jurgen Klopp, playing an instrumental role in their 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League wins.

After five seasons, he joined PSG on a free transfer and won Ligue 1 in 2021-22. However, he departed for AS Roma on loan in search of minutes after just one season.

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