Newcastle United’s Allan Saint-Maximin conundrum and the Manchester City ripple effect

Making his first Premier League start for the club since August, Saint-Maximin put in a very honest 70-minute shift before being replaced by new signing Anthony Gordon. The Frenchman was never afraid to track back and do his defensive work and looked lively in attack.

However, he also never really threatened the West Ham defence and was overshadowed by his replacement. In all, it was a solid if unspectacular return to the first-team for the Frenchman.

‘Solid if unspectacular’ is not a phrase usually associated with Saint-Maximin and not something that will see Newcastle get the best out of him. He’s at his electrifying best when he’s unpredictable, something that was constrained at the weekend.

Now, there is little to suggest that Saint-Maximin cannot be at his electrifying best and do his defensive responsibilities at the same time - we all saw how the two could co-exist during the draw with Manchester City in August. However, Miguel Almiron’s form this season has demonstrated exactly what Howe is looking for in his wide men, can Saint-Maximin deliver these types of performances on a regular basis?

The improvements made by the whole squad under Howe suggest that he’s got the perfect opportunity to do that under the perfect manager, but how long can Newcastle wait for these to come to fruition? And more pertinently, how long can Saint-Maximin wait before not being a regular first-teamer becomes an issue?

The winger has stated publicly his dreams of representing his nation - something that won’t happen if he’s sat on the Magpies bench week after week. There is great mutual love between Saint-Maximin and the stands, a love that has been garnered from the Frenchman repeatedly putting supporters on the edge of their seats, but that of course won’t be enough alone to keep him at the club.

Could a move away from Tyneside be on the cards? Well Newcastle and the Premier League would certainly be worse for his exit, however, there are 50 million financial reasons why a transfer could be the way this relationship ends.

Following Manchester City’s recent charges by the Premier League, there’s no doubt clubs will sit up and take notice and be even more determined to stay within the parameters set out by Financial Fair Play. Newcastle have been determined to do this ever since the takeover of the club but with major spending in the last few transfer windows, they will be hoping to recoup some of this money through player sales in order to stay within the FFP restrictions.Without wanting to see Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes or Akexander Isak leave the club prematurely, Saint-Maximin might just be the one they cash-in on this summer. The Frenchman would likely bring in a hefty fee, one that can then be reinvested back into the side.

One below-par performance against West Ham is certainly by no means the end of Saint-Maximin’s spell on Tyneside, nor should it be the catalyst for his potential departure. However, it is an outcome that fans may need to prepare for.