Former Newcastle United loanee Jetro Willems wants Allan Saint-Maximin to stay at the club, as per his comments to Chronicle.
The Dutchman, who became a fan favourite when he joined on loan back in 2019, has now spoken about his most recent meetup with the Saint-Maximin, as the pair remain friends.
Willems admits that he has read the reports suggesting that Saint-Maximin could depart Newcastle this summer.
However, the left-back wants the Magpies to keep hold of the trickster, despite the mounting interest from elsewhere.
“We went for some dinner,” he stated. “It was nice to hear the Geordie accent around again. That was my biggest problem!
“Me and Max still speak and have contact. He is a nice guy and my best friend there. He’s a brilliant player. I hope they will keep him because I saw some rumours but, potentially, he will become one of the biggest ones.”
It’s great to see that Willems and Saint-Maximin are still great friends, their close friendship was clear whenever they set foot on the pitch
Often the duo would appear on the left-hand side for the Magpies. With Willems playing as a full-back or a wing-back, while Saint-Maximin would play on the left wing.
They linked up very well with one another. So hearing that they were and are still very good friends is very heartwarming. The way they played together certainly shows how close they really are.
Despite a short loan spell, the 28-year-old clearly has a huge affection for the club. It says a lot that Willems wants Saint-Maximin to stay at Newcastle.
There have been on and off reports that the French winger wants to leave. About a week ago it was reported he wanted to leave so he could earn better wages. Both Tottenham and Chelsea have shown interest according to the Daily Mail.
However, if they’ve met up, let’s hope Willems has convinced Saint-Maximin to stay!
Where is Willems now since he left Newcastle?
Willems’ career since leaving Newcastle may have not gone the way he’d hoped. The following season he made zero appearances for Eintracht Frankfurt, as was still recovering from injury.
At the start of the season, he completed a move to German side Greuther Furth in August 2021. In his first full season with the club, the Dutchman suffered relegation from the Bundesliga. So that means next season he will play in the 2. Bundesliga, Germany’s second tier.
Unfortunately, injuries have plagued Willems’ career. When he joined the Magpies on loan it was a concern raised by some fans. It appears that the injury suffered against Chelsea may have significantly hindered his career.
He looked like a top player for the Toon. But Willems’ career since leaving Newcastle suggests he’s found it hard to get his career back on track since recovering him his serious injury. Hopefully, he can change that, he still has plenty of years left to turn it around.
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