OCG Nice forward Allan Saint-Maximin has been spotted on Tyneside ahead of his move to Newcastle this week – is he the perfect Ayoze Perez replacement?
According to The Mirror, Saint-Maximin has been pictured at Newcastle’s training ground, presumably to complete a medical and discuss personal terms.
The report claims that he is set to sign for a deal in the region of £16.4m, becoming their second arrival of the summer following Joelinton’s club-record £40m move from Hoffenheim.
Newcastle lost their top scorer from last season – Ayoze Perez – to Leicester for £30m earlier this summer and Saint-Maximin could be viewed as his natural replacement.
But how do the pair compare from last season?
Perez scored 12 and assisted two in the Premier League for Newcastle, whilst Saint-Maximin scored six and assisted three in Ligue 1 – with both starting the same number (34) of games in the league.
Saint-Maximin excelled through the middle for Nice, but was also deployed on either flank at times. Perez was similar, but was most effective playing on the right, with his performance faltering in central areas last term.
Both players are good with the ball at their feet and like to commit defenders, whilst also providing end product when they get into the final third. Although, it has to be taken into consideration that Ligue 1 is a considerably lower overall standard than the Premier League.
However, in terms of the stats, Saint-Maximin appears to be the ideal replacement for Perez and could prove to be an excellent addition to Steve Bruce’s side for the upcoming campaign.
