Allan Saint-Maximin not only embodies what Newcastle United should be on the pitch – enigmatic, entertaining, unpredictable and magnificent – but he does so off it as well.
Saint-Maximin’s recent comments to Sky Sports show that he truly understands the prestige behind the club.
He said in a recent interview: “The club has given me everything, the opportunity for me to show to everyone my quality in the Premier League. Sometimes when people give you something, you have to give back.
“But before I signed it, I had always said Newcastle should not be fighting against relegation every year. We have to fight for the top 10, it’s what the supporters deserve.
“Sometimes you have to think about your future, you can see Leicester winning the FA Cup, you play football to win trophies, not to fight to stay up.”
Saint-Maximin has been one of Newcastle’s best players during this torrid campaign. They clearly missed him when he was out of action.
When the winger – described as “an exciting player” by former West Ham United star Trevor Sinclair on talkSPORT (16 April, 9:00am) – has been able to get on the pitch, he has had a canny knack of managing to pull them out of sticky situations and even gain three points: he arguably won both fixtures against relegation rivals Burnley alone, scoring in both games with superb individual efforts.
Such talent has been vital in keeping Newcastle afloat this season – and it’s of course wonderful he sees the club on the magnitude as the supporters, as per his words in the recent interview.
But such ambition from the player might come at a price for the club. There’s not much about Newcastle’s ambition or previous transfer activity that shows they are determined to improve and kick on next season.
The sad truth is their extent of success amounts to not much more than survival. A player of the stature of Saint-Maximin, who is still some way off making an appearance in what is the gleaming a French national side, has come out to say he wishes to win trophies.
Newcastle have not won a domestic piece of silverware since 1955. And despite their turnaround in recent games – much owing to the dazzling form and six consecutive goals from the in-form Joe Willock – and they still, for all intents and purposes, lumbered in the bottom half of the Premier League.
Fans can take some reassurance knowing that it would take some doing to prise the attacker away from St James’ Park this summer window. His contract commits him to the club until 2026. Moreover, Newcastle are not traditionally a selling club.
His position is not required by any of the top six at present either, and there is not been much in the way of links away, apart from a move to Roma, according to the Northern Echo. His final ball is still lacking in some regard – and as was evident in his performance against Manchester City this month, he struggles to penetrate tougher backlines and make a greater effect in those larger games.
But if anything, keeping Saint-Maximin at Newcastle next season would be holding onto one of the few facets of enjoyment at this football club. So it’s vital Newcastle do so.
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