Newcastle United‘s woes off the pitch continue ahead of the 2019-20 season as manager Rafa Benitez and the club have not agreed on a new contract for the Spanish manager, and he will leave the club after a three-year run.
However, it seems that the Premier League team will continue to pursue new signings, and the latest player to be linked with a move to St. James Park is Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin.
A report from French outlet Nice-Matin states that the English club will have to pay €30 million for the winger, but the Magpies can only offer €25 million right now.
The 22-year-old had three years remaining on his current contract at Nice after signing for them in 2017 from AS Monaco, for a fee of around €10 million.
Saint-Maximin – Profile
Saint-Maximin began his career at Saint-Étienne, before playing for the B side and then the senior side, but was quickly snapped up by AS Monaco. But, he made just two appearances for Monaco, before he was sent on loan to Hannover 96 and Bastia, and then a permanent move to Nice in 2017.
In the 2018-19 season, Saint-Maximin played 36 games in all competitions, scoring 6 times and assisting 5 times. The 22-year-old has not yet played for the French senior team, but he has played for the U21 side.
Here are the pros and cons of signing Allan Saint-Maximin for Newcastle United:
Pros
Saint-Maximin is a player who has phenomenal talent and technical ability, and great pace and skill needed to beat defenders time and time again.
The youngster is a right-footed winger who usually plays on the right, but he is also capable of playing on the left or as a striker – versatility that will be useful for the Magpies.
The 22-year-old likes to cut inside and make inroads into the opposition’s defence, while also having the vision and ability to pick out a pass in the final third.
Saint-Maximin could be a deadly player in counter-attacking scenarios thanks to his tremendous acceleration.
Cons
Like most young attacking players, Saint-Maximin is not defensively sound and has to improve on this aspect of the game, especially at a club like Newcastle United, where every point matters for the team.
His off-the-ball movement can also be much better than what it is now, and there is a lot of scope to improve in that attribute thanks to his incredible pace.