The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope released an intriguing article on Allan Saint-Maximin last night, explaining why the Frenchman may need a ‘new contract to keep him happy’ at NUFC.
The piece generally focuses on his impressive form both on and off the pitch since he completed a £16.5m move from France, however Hope reports that his camp have been ‘frustrated’ by the fact several players who rarely play earn more than the £36,000-a-week salary he’s currently on.
It’s also said he expected fresh terms to have been offered by now – with him taking no time to establish himself as one of our most important players – yet it seems the state of limbo this long winded takeover saga has left us in has meant no new deal is in the offing.
So, no alarm bells just yet, (even if the piece does reveal that plenty clubs have already shown interest) but more proof that a takeover needs to be sorted one way or another so we can move on – and ideally sorted with a positive conclusion so we can move into a stronger position to keep star men like Saint-Maximin!
Here’s a few tweets he shared last night and a snippet from Hope’s piece for The Mail, explaining the one ‘problem’ Newcastle have with the mercurial winger:
“Here is Newcastle’s problem – Saint-Maximin is looking like a player deserving of the biggest stage.
“We can reveal that the six-year deal he signed last August was on wages of around £36,000-a-week plus bonuses, and there is growing frustration that he earns less than some team-mates who rarely play.
“It was hoped that a new contract in recognition of his worth would be on the table by now but the club remains in a state of paralysis amid the proposed takeover.
“Sources say that interest from elsewhere is plentiful, but an exciting new era could be about to begin at St James’, and new owners would make keeping the winger a priority.
“It would certainly cost a lot more than £16m to replace him. Indeed, if Newcastle United want to challenge at the top end of the Premier League, Allan Saint-Maximin should be priceless.”
Considering he’ll have been watching the likes of Jack Colback simply train each week for just shy of £50,000, you can see why he’s been left wondering how he’s still on the lower end of the salary scale!
It’s also no surprise to see Hope reveal that the electrifying 23-year-old has received plenty interest from elsewhere, with him being involved in 11 goals in his debut season, running rings around defences every week and being one of the Premier League’s best performers since we returned from the break.
That said, he seems to adore the club and us fans, so I don’t see why he can’t be a key player for many years to come if a takeover goes through and we begin to show the sort of ambition to match his incredible potential.
A takeover really could be key, however. Not only will a final decision on this Saudi deal allow us to crack on with contract talks one way or another, it feels like the newfound hope that it could bring may allow players like Saint-Maximin to stay put in the long-term – not be pinched by big spending rivals competing at the very top.
Did his agent write the article, funny how there was another article yesterday about interest from abroad. Greedy money grabbing agents.
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