But it didn't happen that way.
In fact he didn't make his first Premiership start until December at Carrow Road (if my memory serves me right), in the 4-2 horror show against Norwich.
Alan Pardew kept telling us: "He's not ready yet", and we had to wait for his Italian job.
But Santon has started the club’s last three games, all won, and the boss seems to have been right to have kept him on the shelf.
Alan Pardew: “The defenders have been outstanding.
“Davide Santon’s in the best form he’s had since he joined the club.
“He’s growing with the personalities he has around him, him and Colo looked terrific.
“You only have to look at Williamson to see that’s a different player to the one which came in the team.
“He’s very, very confident, and he dealt with (Stoke’s Peter) Crouch very well.”