Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy has provided an update on Allan Saint-Maximin and his current situation at the club.
The Frenchman, who didn’t have the greatest of campaigns for Steve Bruce’s men in 2020/21 after only scoring three goals with four assists in a campaign that was spoiled by injuries, has been absent from Newcastle United’s pre-season friendlies this summer.
The 24-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club this summer, with a report in The Mirror claiming that former Toon boss Rafael Benitez was taking a look at him for his Everton squad, which had led some Newcastle United fans to think that his absence is linked to a potential move away from the club.
But speaking about the forward on NUFC Matters, Kennedy quashed any suggestion that his absence was transfer-related, and that it was purely down to the player’s health situation:
“Allan Saint-Maximin has half a chance [to be ready for the first game of the season], despite his illness. And that’s one thing that I’ve been getting noises of in recent weeks, is don’t believe the paranoia that’s building around Saint-Maximin, I don’t think the club particularly are of a mind to sell the player, and he is genuinely ill.
“It’s, of course, up to him to reveal his own medical status, nobody else, which is why there’s been no announcement. But I think most people can join the dots on that one. And I think people are joining the dots and getting to the wrong place.”
TIF Thoughts on Liam Kennedy’s comments about Allan Saint-Maximin…
Hopefully, he will be up and ready to go as soon as possible, because it would be interesting to see what Saint-Maximin can produce when he is able to get a run at a full season on Tyneside – something that he hasn’t been able to enjoy since he arrived at the club because of the number of injuries he’s had.
Are you confident Saint-Maximin will stay at Newcastle this summer?
Yes
No
He has come in for some criticism during his time at St. James’ Park, with club icon Alan Shearer claiming that he ‘frustrates the hell out of me’, and hopefully he’ll be able to put that right this season, because otherwise after three poor seasons at the club, maybe they will start to think about selling him when the next opportunity arises.
In other news: ‘As things stand’ – Journalist drops Freddie Woodman transfer claim at Newcastle