McAvennie says Saint-Maximin will stay at Newcastle

Allan Saint-Maximin has an uncertain future at Newcastle United with Eddie Howe reportedly keen to cash in on the 25-year-old amid interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but Frank McAvennie believe he’ll end up staying.

Saint-Maximin has been linked with a £40m move away from Newcastle after finishing as the club’s top assist-maker and second-best goalscorer last season, but McAvennie says Howe should keep him at St James’ Park.  

He told Football Insider: “I don’t think he’ll want to go. He’s the one player I’d have kept because they were hopeless until Eddie Howe came in. Chelsea is a huge club, Newcastle are not yet but they’re going to be. (So) it’s whether he wants to stay and be part of that build.”

Saint-Maximin is coming off the back of his best season at Newcastle, scoring five goals and making five assists from 35 Premier League games. For a player valued at more than £40m, Newcastle aren’t getting the best from him on the pitch.

Read Newcastle have said numerous times that Howe should consider selling Saint-Maximin, as the Magpies can survive without him. The money made could go towards a more prolific replacement.

But with Ryan Fraser (27 PL apps, 2 goals, 3 assists), Jacob Murphy (33 PL apps, 1 goal, 2 assists) and Miguel Almiron (30 PL apps, 1 goal, 0 assists) failing to pick up the slack, would Howe really lose his most dangerous winger without a replacement lined up?

In other news, Newcastle told to sign ‘very good’ Timo Werner