The first of many inevitable transfer rumours linking Allan Saint-Maximin to a move away from Tyneside has surfaced over the last few days, with the recently axed Jose Mourinho reportedly keen on taking the Frenchman to AS Roma.
The Italian giants ensured that the legendary manager was not out of work for long following his dismissal from Tottenham Hotspur and he will take over next season.
The ‘Special One’ is supposedly a keen admirer of United’s pacey winger, which is hardly surprising given the impact he made from the substitutes bench in the 2-2 draw played out between the Magpies and Mourinho’s Spurs at the start of April.
Roma were one of the clubs that were said to be in for Saint-Maximin prior to his transfer to the North East of England, so it is clear that the hierarchy admire him and Mourinho also has previously gone on record to speak of his respect for the player.
It is not surprising that interest is high in Saint-Maximin. His impact has been truly shown by the correlation of our upturn in form to secure survival and him being available after an injury layoff.
Whats more is that the Frenchman is pure entertainment and when you have to sit through watching a team as turgid as we have been this season, losing out on the prospect of seeing Saint-Maximin terrorise defenders would be a bitter pill to swallow for the Toon Army.
We should not be looking to sell our star man for any price. With him being contracted until 2026, there is no pressure on the club to shift their biggest asset. The only issue may be if the player is keen to depart the club.
Whilst he seems to be very content with life on Tyneside, the lure of playing for one of the most respected managers in the game for a side that has a great chance to be playing in European competitions most seasons may be too much to turn down.
This is where the proposed takeover comes in, if a deal is somehow struck and the takeover is finally rubber stamped by the Premier League then United could offer that same hope of ambition.