Newcastle United should not break their current wage structure to keep Allan Saint-Maximin at the club, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson.

The Lowdown: Saint-Maximin's head turned?

According to the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old’s head has been turned after the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea were alerted to his potential availability this summer.

The Frenchman is said to have learnt that he could be earning substantially more if he were to leave the Magpies, where he currently earns £93,000 per week (via Salary Sport).

With four years left on the player’s contract, Newcastle do not want to break the club’s wage structure to keep him on Tyneside.

The Latest: Robinson’s claim

Robinson, who works as a pundit for Sky Sports News, believes that the Magpies need to be careful with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations should they reward Saint-Maximin with a new deal.

Speaking with Football Insider, the former England goalkeeper claimed: “They have to be careful with Financial Fair Play. I think that is why they are wary of breaking the wage structure. The old saying, nobody is bigger than the club.

“Newcastle is a huge football club that now has a huge bank account. They still have to be ran very carefully though. You only have to look at Everton’s misspending and how they now have no wriggle room with Financial Fair Play.

“You should always reward your best players but you don’t give players ridiculous amounts of money to stay at the club.

“At the end of the day, Newcastle will shortly be right at the top of the Premier League. They will soon get most of the players that they want.

“Saint-Maximin is a top player but is he irreplaceable? No, he is not.”

The Verdict: Not enough end product

Whilst Saint-Maximin is known for his electric speed and dribbling ability, demonstrated by his ranking in the 99th percentile for dribbles completed over the past year among positional peers in Europe's top five leagues (via FBRef), he lacks that clinical nature in the final third.

During the 2021/22 season, the attacker scored just five goals, putting him in the 33th percentile for non-penalty goals when compared with other wingers across the continent's major leagues (via FBRef).

Therefore, if the 25-year-old were to come to Newcastle chiefs with huge demands, it could be entirely possible that the club refuse a new contract for the Frenchman, opening up the possibility of a move away from St James’ Park.