Saturday, 15th September, 2012
Lille coach Rudi Garcia believes Mathieu Debuchy is happy at the northern France club, despite a switch to Newcastle United being blocked in the summer transfer window.
The Magpies made two official offers for the France right-back, one of €5M and one of €6M, with both being dismissed by Lille president Michel Seydoux.
Debuchy was vocal about his desire to leave, but Lille did not budge and the transfer window slammed shut with the 27-year-old still at the Grand Stade Lille.
But Debuchy is not dwelling on what might have been, in the opinion of the club’s coach Garcia, who finds the defender’s behaviour to be, in his opinion, "perfectly normal".
Indeed, all Garcia senses from Debuchy is a desire to return to action from an injury picked up on international duty with France, when Les Bleus played Uruguay in a friendly in August.
"Mathieu is looking forward, that is the most important thing", said Garcia, when asked how Debuchy was coping with the disappointment of his potential summer move being scuppered.
"How do I find his behaviour? Perfectly normal, that is the right term", he added.
And Garcia stressed that all he sees is a player desperate to return from injury.
"He longs to play again after his injury.
"I think he will speak to the press as soon as he feels better, that is to say, soon I hope."
Debuchy is under contract with Lille until 2015.
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