Is Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle United: Saudi transfer rumours explained

Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin is expected to leave St James’ Park this summer and he is a top target for Saudi-Pro League giants Al Ahli, according to reports.

The French winger missed Newcastle’s pre-season friendly victory over Rangers on Tuesday 18 July and manager Eddie Howe confirmed he is in the early stages of talks over a potential move away.

Saint-Maximin has been a first team regular for the Magpies since his arrival from Nice in August 2019 and he was a member of the team last season which secured a place in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.

But what has Eddie Howe said about Allan Saint-Maximin’s potential departure and how much is the winger likely to cost?

Here is everything you need to know.

Is Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle United?

Allan Saint-Maximin is likely to leave Newcastle United this summer, amid rumours of interest from Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Pro League has acquired a number of top talents in a bid to grow the status of football within the country and the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Marcelo Brozovic have all moved to the Middle East during the summer transfer window.

The 26-year-old winger has been a key part of the Newcastle team over the last four years. He played a key role for the side in their relegation battles under Steve Bruce and has been a member of the Newcastle team which finished fourth last year under Eddie Howe.

Saint-Maximin started and scored in Newcastle’s friendly victory over Gateshead at the start of July, but he was missing from the team which defeated Rangers in their second pre-season friendly.

After the game, Howe confirmed the reason for Saint-Maximin’s absence.

He said: “He’s in early discussions over a potential move away. That's why he wasn’t here. It’s doubtful he’ll join us on the tour of America. I don’t think Maxi necessarily wants to leave, but he may feel it’s the right time for him to move.”

Why is Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle?

Allan Saint-Maximin is a player who is very popular with many Newcastle supporters and he is viewed as a mercurial talent with the ability to change games with his technical ability.

However, he is also one of the club’s valuable assets and a fee for the player will allow Newcastle to make further moves in the transfer market, whilst still abiding by Financial Fair Play regulations.

Eddie Howe explained the situation further in his post match interview. Howe said: “Maxi is the player that’s generating the interest. FFP (financial fair play) is a new dynamic which really came to the fore after my first window here and we knew it would impact us.

“Player trading is a key part of it - you can’t hit it, if you don’t trade. We’re forced to trade a player this window.”

Howe added: “If the deal didn’t go through. I’d be delighted. It would obviously impact our ability to bring any more players in, and then we potentially might have to sell another player. That’s the way that Financial Fair Play has hit us.”

How much is Allan Saint Maximin likely to cost?

Newcastle United have reportedly valued Allan Saint-Maximin at around £40 million, according to reports.

Football journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Al-Hilal have made an official bid of around £20 million for the player, but Newcastle are hoping for a higher fee.

The proposed transfer of Allan Saint-Maximin is expected to free up funds for Harvey Barnes of Leicester, who is yet to feature for The Foxes in pre-season.