Allan Saint-Maximin’s departure represents a changing of the guard for Newcastle United.
The Frenchman officially left Newcastle for Saudi Arabia over the weekend, joining Al-Ahli for a fee worth a reported £23m.
Saint-Maximin was one of few shining lights during a bleak era for the club under Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley and gave supporters a reason to get excited.
Clearly, things did not work out as planned under Eddie Howe but Saint-Maximin’s place in the hearts of fans can hardly be questioned.
That brings us to another man who helped get the club through such a bleak time.
Joe Willock, like Saint-Maximin, impressed during the behind-closed-doors era of the Premier League, bagging in eight consecutive games after a loan move from Arsenal.
That earned him a £25m permanent deal at St James’ Park in the summer of 2021 and, unlike Saint-Maximin, he remains a fixture of Howe’s first-team.
Still, the two went through a lot to together and Willock has vowed to see his old teammate again.
Joe Willock sends heartfelt message to Allan Saint-Maximin after Saudi Arabia transfer
Indeed, Willock took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Frenchman and vowed to play alongside him again someday.
Willock has a lot to offer at Newcastle first
While it is nice to see teammates express such admiration for each other, it’s hard to imagine Willock and Saint-Maximin linking up again soon.
The former Arsenal midfielder is a key figure in Howe’s plans and, such was the level of his form at times last season, was even touted for an England call-up.
At only 23 and heading for the Champions League with Newcastle, there is still so much more to achieve for the midfielder on Tyneside.
The next step will surely be to get back amongst the goals. Though Willock is arguably a much better player than the one who scored so often following his loan move, goal-scoring returns of 2 and 3 in the seasons since are disappointing.
There is much more to come.
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