Newcastle United are one of three Premier League teams in the hunt for Nice forward Allan Saint-Maximin, according to Nice-Matin.
The French outlet claims that the Magpies are interested in the Ligue 1 star, who also has his admirers at Crystal Palace and Everton.
Patrick Vieira’s side are said to be hoping to earn up to £35million from the player’s sale this summer, after he scored six times and bagged four assists in 34 league games this season.
However, Rafael Benitez’s team will likely also face competition from Italian giants AC Milan. Calcio Mercato reported this week that Milan are waiting on the go-ahead from sporting director Leonardo before making a move for the Frenchman.
OPINION
Saint-Maximin has seemed to be a hot prospect for quite some time now, and he’s still only 22 years of age. He’s certainly a proven performer at top flight level, as well as being someone who is young enough to kick on and improve in the years to come. You get the sense that whoever signs him this summer could pull off a masterstroke. Will that be Newcastle? It’s hard to say. Obviously the Magpies are a big club and they have the trump card of having a world class manager to attract players – as long as Benitez stays, of course. However, the competition for Saint-Maximin is obviously going to be fierce. Everton and Palace will both be able to spend similar sort of money to Newcastle – if not more in the case of the Toffees. The real problem for Benitez’s team, though, might be the presence of Milan in the background. They’re a different calibre of club altogether and you’d imagine that if they decide to make a move for the Nice star then this transfer battle’s a wrap.
