Soccer Football - Friendly - Newcastle United v Rayo Vallecano - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - December 17, 2022 Newcastle United's Allan Saint-Maximin in action with Rayo Vallecano's Oscar Trejo Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Craig Hope has hinted on his YouTube channel that Allan Saint-Maximin is in talks with Newcastle United over a new contract.
The Lowdown: Newcastle working behind the scenes
Newcastle tasted defeat for only the second time in the Premier League last night and both of those losses have been inflicted on the Magpies by Liverpool, who were also the only side to beat them at St James’ Park in the league during 2022.
It shows that the Magpies do indeed have a sort of mental or physical block when it comes to facing Jurgen Klopp’s side, but one positive from a damning evening on Tyneside was the performance of Saint-Maximin.
The Frenchman was picked out as the Player of the Match by Jamie Carragher last night which may hint at a shift in his form heading into the Carabao Cup final next week, or he could be playing for something more than just a starting berth.
The Latest: Saint-Maximin heading for a new deal
Hope questioned post-match last night why Saint-Maximin was only starting to turn up his performance amid talk of a new deal going on behind the scenes.
He said: (4:25) “The opening 10 minutes I thought they were brilliant and one of those positives was Saint-Maximin. Why is it he only really turns it on when he’s in talks over a new contract on the eve of a cup final but I thought he was brilliant, the best we’ve seen in a long time from him during the first 10 minutes.”
The Verdict: PIF making moves off the pitch
It is quite an interesting turn of events to see Saint-Maximin seemingly in talks over a new deal as he has been pretty much a squad player under Eddie Howe post-injury this season and has a current deal that ties him down until 2026.
Therefore, it would appear that there should be no urgency to be thrashing out new terms for Saint-Maximin, especially when reports have suggested over the last few months that the club were willing to move him on.
However, performances like the one last night – which saw Dominic Scurr labelling him a ‘bright spark‘ reminds everyone of the talent that he does indeed possess and if he can carry the Magpies to glory next week and continues to step up his level of performance, PIF may see no other option but to hand him a new contract.
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