According to Football Insider, Premier League side Newcastle United are open to letting their starman Allan Saint-Maximin leave the club for £40m this summer.
Since making a £16 million switch from the French side OGC Nice in 2019, Saint-Maximin has established himself as one of the most exciting wingers in the league.
Whenever he’s been fit, the 25-year-old’s dazzling dribbling skills on the pitch have left many awestruck. In the three years he has been at St. James Park, the Frenchman has found the net 12 times, while also assisting his teammates 16 times.
However, according to Football Insider, The Toon’s manager Eddie Howe has given the green light for his departure, if The Magpies are able to bring in another attacker this summer.
The report further states that Saint-Maximin‘s lack of end product is an issue for the manager and the coaching staff, and he will be sold if their £40m asking price is met.
Opportunity for Arsenal?
With Arsenal looking at several names for the attacking wing position, the latest development might be music to the ears of the club’s hierarchy. The north Londoners have been linked with Saint-Maximin in the past so will he now emerge as a prime target for Mikel Arteta?
If the Gunners do bring in the Newcastle man, they would certainly be taking their attacking force to a new level. With the reported price tag of £40million, you can only wonder whether there’s a player out there, with the caliber of Saint-Maximin who will be available at that price.
But any move for the winger might hinge on Nicolas Pepe departing the club. The Ivorian has failed to make a serious impact at the Emirates Stadium, since making a club-record move in 2019.
At the moment, no club has come forward with a genuine bid for the former Lille man. But things will be expected to change as we arrive at the latter stages of the transfer window.
Mikel Arteta has already confirmed that the club is focussing on outgoings before adding “something great” to the squad. “We’ve moved the squad a lot and we’re still willing to finalise the squad the way we want it. We could add something great but there are a few players that we need to find the right game time for as well.” said the Gunners boss at his press conference on Friday.
It will be intriguing to see how the last two weeks of the transfer window have an impact on the Arsenal team, and whether they may now turn their focus to Saint-Maximin after learning he’s available this summer.
