£16.5m player has now said goodbye to his Newcastle teammates

Add as preferred source on Google

Allan Saint-Maximin is now edging closer towards a move away from Newcastle United after he missed Tuesday night’s friendly with Rangers.

The 26-year-old was not part of the group that travelled to Glasgow, nor is he heading to America for the Magpies’ pre-season tour.

Instead, he is in talks to leave Newcastle and sign for Saudi Arabian club Al Ahli.

After the win over Rangers, Eddie Howe confirmed that Saint-Maximin was in talks to leave the club. He paid tribute to the Frenchman, and admitted that he does not want him to go. However, FFP constraints mean that it is in Newcastle United’s best interests.

Now a new report from the Telegraph has provided an update on how Saint-Maximin feels about the move.

Allan Saint-Maximin ready to leave Newcastle

According to the Telegraph, Saint-Maximin is now keen to sign for Al Ahli. They add that he was offered to clubs in Europe, but ASM wants to head to Saudi Arabia instead.

A switch to Al Ahli will give him the chance to play alongside Roberto Firmino and Edouard Mendy, who have also joined this summer.

And with Saint-Maximin happy to make the move, the Telegraph state that he has now said goodbye to the Newcastle players and staff.

It looks like there is no going back now. Newcastle are going to sell Saint-Maximin, four years after he joined the club for £16.5million.

It was an excellent four years, with Maxi proving to be a talismanic figure during Steve Bruce’s tenure. Goodness knows where we would have ended up had it not been for his efforts.

But he has not been as influential under Howe, who has taken Newcastle to a whole new level. He wants the Magpies to kick on even more this season, and to do that he needs reinforcements.

That is why Saint-Maximin needs to go. He is our most saleable asset, and Newcastle need to balance the books if they are to make more signings.