According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United will receive just £23m for the sale of Allan Saint-Maximin.
Following Sunday night confirmation of his move to Al-Ahli, Sky’s North-East reporter Keith Downie claims the final fee is £23m; a figure considerably lower than his market value.
Last week, it was revealed that a host of Premier League clubs had complained about the amount we’d receive, with our rivals questioning a deal that involved the Saudi PIF on both sides, given their ownership at Al-Ahli and Newcastle.
It’s a curious one and frankly laughable that our rivals thought to complain when poorer players have cost Saudi clubs far more over the past few weeks and months. Have we been forced to renegotiate a lower fee following the complaints? It makes you wonder when we were told ‘£30m plus add-ons’ prior to the Premier League backlash.
Either way, it’s too low and an ongoing mystery. He may not be an elite player and has struggled with injuries, but he’d be costing almost double that figure with no questions asked if an English side came calling.
Here’s the announcement video released by Al-Ahli, showing the 26-year-old in his new colours for the very first time:
I don’t think the amount that was paid here is the issue.
The problem is the fact that he was bought by the Saudis, full stop.
I fully appreciate it is fashionable on such fan blogs to label anything said against the club as “pathetic”, ridiculous”, or, as in this case, “laughable”, but the sticking point here is that Al Ahli’s Saudi owners (who are they again?), have bought a player that nobody else was willing to come in for. This is an organisation that has brought in Mahrez, Benzema,
Kante, Neves, Jota and even tried to get Mbappe. Why would they even be interested in Maxi?
Obviously the price has been dropped to try to give the purchase an air of respectability, but if anything it just makes it smell more like a Monday morning on the Quayside.
While I’m sure the mob will be chomping at the bit, the more intelligent fans will be shaking their heads in disbelief.
A mere snip at 23 million – why weren’t Burnley, Sheffield or Luton interested? Surely one of those teams would have been happy to go to 30, or even 35, if he was genuinely available?
Naaah! Sorry boys. Fishy doesn’t even begin to cover it.
BykerBill(Quote)
Bonkers byker bill and his fishy conspiracy theories … get back to blunderland you clown … sky sports will write any old tosh to get the click Baits
Mike(Quote)