Is Newcastle United Midfielder Yohan Cabaye the EPL Signing of the Season?

Yohan Cabaye's first-ever goal for Newcastle United couldn't have come at a more opportune moment.

The French international midfielder's lone strike proved decisive in what was a 1-0 victory Saturday for the Magpies against Wigan Athletic at St. James' Park.

It was just the latest sterling performance in a rapidly lengthening line during what has been a hugely impressive debut season for the former Lille man in the English Premier League.

Having arrived this past summer for a supposed fee of £4.4 million, Cabaye has wasted little time in making a lasting impression on his new employers, while exorcising the notion that it might have taken him time to adjust to the furious speed and pace of the English game, which is a marked departure from Ligue 1.

I mean, he was good for Lille, but who expected him to be this good?

Cabaye slots in brilliantly in a holding midfield role, where his penchant for creativity is accentuated by the presence of an enforcer playing alongside him. With France, it's Yann M'Vila; with Newcastle, it's Cheik Tiote. Both do their jobs superbly and allow Cabaye the freedom to strut his stuff.

In Germany, they label a holding mid with a creative bent as a "No. 6," much in the same vein as "No. 10" often designates an attacking midfield player, or "No. 9" a striker, and so on. The No. 6 has yet to truly take hold in the footballing lexicon, but it is well on its way, given their prevalence in formations worldwide.

ESPN Soccernet's Uli Hesse wrote a brilliant piece back in August chronicling the 4-2-3-1 revolution that is sweeping across Europe and much of the world.

Hesse spoke of how that formation facilitates offensive industry, something Cabaye is adept at providing.

In the span of a year, he has become an integral component of Laurent Blanc's new-look French side (which employs a 4-2-3-1) and Alan Pardew's Newcastle outfit, which utilizes the aforementioned midfielding partnership that Cabaye has taken to so quickly.

He has become a fan favorite at St. James', where his heady play in the center of the park and impressive comprehension of the most opportune moments to push forward have drawn rave reviews from supporters and commentators alike.

While this might be perceived as a lowbrow dig at Chelsea front man Fernando Torres (I'd say hit man, but these days he provides about as many of those as a post-Federline Britney Spears), Cabaye has provided miles better return on Newcastle's investment than the Spaniard has for Chelsea, at nearly 1/12 of the price (Torres cost Chelsea around £52 million in January 2011).

You could certainly make the case that he's been the best bang for the paltriest buck. In these days of exorbitant and inflated transfer fees, Cabaye's price tag looks like a store-going-out-of-business type of acquisition.

He is a massive reason behind Newcastle's current fourth-place ranking in the league after nine games. They are four points clear of their nearest pursuer, Liverpool, and have designs on Champions League football, which is looking more and more like a realistic possibility by the week.

Few would have predicted this sort of success before the season, when Toon owner Mike Ashley was subjected to incessant vitriol concerning his off-season decision making (or lack thereof).

Cabaye has certainly provided a feather in Ashley's decision-making cap, looking like one of, if not the, most astute purchase(s) of the summer transfer window.

Is he the EPL signing of the season?

That's a tough debate to crack open at this juncture, as the stage is still in the process of being set (it is, after all, only October), but Cabaye has certainly proved his value.

And if he keeps adding to his now-opened goal-scoring register, a spot in the PFA Team of the Year might just be in the offing.