Despite being an important player under Eddie Howe and regularly featuring when fit, Allan Saint-Maximin has an uncertain future at Newcastle United. The 25-year-old has attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur and may be granted a move away for £50m.
Saint-Maximin is Newcastle second-highest goalscorer (5) and their top assist-maker (5) this season, so he brings a lot of value to the side. No Magpies player has created more chances (50) or had more successful dribbles (150) than the Frenchman, so Howe would surely prefer to keep him.
But if Newcastle have the chance to make £50m, the money can go towards new signings while staying on the right side of Financial Fair Play regulations. Paddy Kenny believes the Magpies should sanction a transfer if they’re offered a club-record fee for Saint-Maximin.
He told Football Insider: “I have said it before, if that £50m bid comes in then Newcastle should take it – £50m can get you a lot in this market and Saint-Maximin hasn’t been doing enough.
“He is great to watch but he only got five goals last season. Yes, the team around him is poor and maybe he will get better numbers once Newcastle improve the team, but £50m is a lot for a player who has never hit double figures for goals or assists in one Premier League season.”
Saint-Maximin joined Newcastle from OGC Nice in 2019, setting the club back £16.2m. The 25-year-old and has gone on to make 93 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals with 16 assists.
There’s no doubt he’s a talented player and a crowd-pleaser, but Newcastle would be making a major profit if they sold him for £50m. Saint-Maximin isn’t worth that amount to the Magpies now they have lucrative resources, so Kenny is right.
In other news, Paddy Kenny says Hugo Ekitike is ‘an absolute baby’
