Aston Villa are reportedly interested in an ambitious summer swoop for £50 million-rated electric French winger Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle.
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United would be willing to cash in on star man Allan Saint-Maximin this summer if they receive an offer in the region of £50 million, and Aston Villa are said to be one of the teams monitoring the situation closely.
The report claims that Newcastle’s recruitment team came to the decision to sell their talismanic winger after a series of boardroom discussions across three days this week, held to chalk out plans ahead of the next transfer window.
It is mentioned that Newcastle’s wealthy owners are ready to put a fresh injection of £60 million into the club’s transfer kitty. But they will look to offload as many as ten current first-team players to generate more funds for boss Eddie Howe to operate with and also to comply with the Financial Fair Play rules. And the shocking name on the list is fan-favourite Allan Saint-Maximin.
The 25-year-old made an instant impression at St James’ Park after joining from Ligue 1 outfit OGC Nice in 2019. Now into his third season with the Tyneside club, he has emerged as the sole bright spark and beacon of hope for the Toon faithful in the top-flight during the difficult period under Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley.
To date, the Frenchman has contributed 12 goals and 14 assists in 84 outings across all competitions for the Magpies. And while those numbers might not seem much, the mercurial Frenchman has the capability of producing magical moments out of nothing, thanks to his dazzling dribbling skills and searing pace, and is a nightmare to play against on his day.
This term, Saint-Maximin has again been a standout performer for the northeast outfit, leading the squad with eight-goal contributions (5 Goals, 3 Assists) from 26 appearances. He is also topping the Premier League dribbling charts (114). He seemed to be one of the few Newcastle players around whom the new owners could build a team around, following the lucrative takeover.
However, the maverick winger has been the subject of criticism from some sections of supporters for his profligacy in crucial moments and lack of end product. Nonetheless, with a major squad revamp planned this summer, he could be the man sacrificed to ensure Howe has plenty of spending power.
The report also mentions a potential suitor, with fellow Premier League rivals Aston Villa keeping close tabs on the situation. They will be primed to launch a move should the Newcastle winger become available on the market.
However, that appears unlikely, given Villa are already well-stocked on the wings with the likes of Emiliano Buendia, Philippe Coutinho, Bertrand Traore and Leon Bailey, all available at Steven Gerrard’s disposal. So, the pursuit for Saint-Maximin very much hinges on Coutinho’s long-term future at Villa Park.
Furthermore, the 25-year-old is contracted at St James’ Park until 2026 and would not come cheap by any means, with a £50 million price tag mooted in the report. Newcastle have already lined up Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, and Championship hotshot Brennan Johnson as potential replacements should Saint-Maximin depart this summer.
