According to the latest reports from the Sun as cited by Daily Star, Newcastle United have sent a ‘friendly agent’ to France to seal the deal for Nice winger Allan Saint-Maximin. United’s bid of £14m was rejected earlier, but now the club is set to come up with an improved offer of £20m.
Steve Bruce recently went on to reveal his plans for the rest of the transfer window and said that the club is keen on a new striker. He said (The Express), ”We want to add one of two in the striker positions. Scoring the goal is the biggest challenge. Win you a match, get you off your feet.”
Why are Newcastle United after attackers?
The club recently signed Joelinton for record fee this summer. However, the Toon still needs to look for new options as they lost Salomon Rondon, Ayoze Perez and Joselu from last season. Therefore it is no surprise to see Bruce wanting a new striker to come in.
Saint-Maximin might not be a striker, but he can solve some of United’s attacking woes after his impactful campaign for Nice.
What will Saint-Maximin bring to the table?
The Frenchman is a seven-time France u-21 international, and he is seen as a big upcoming talent. The winger played in 36 games for Nice last season and contributed with six goals and five assists. His attacking stats are just about okay, but one needs to see him play to check how effective he can be.
There is no doubt to us that with a better team, Saint-Maximin would have had more goals and assists. The 22-year-old is a right-winger but can easily slot in down the left flank and even through the middle. His standout attributes are his searing pace and ability to go past defenders in one on the situation. He is always willing to take on his man and is a nightmare to defend against due to his extravagant skills. On his day, the Frenchman will be a joy to watch as he can go past defenders for fun.
Worth £20m?
In today’s market, Saint-Maximin is quite easily worth that much and even more. He is still young and yet to hit his peak. Once he settles down in a new country and league, he can be a game-changer for the Magpies. Bruce should be all over this signing. The Frenchman could quickly end up being worth double that price once he has a decent season in the English top flight.
