Newcastle could sell Nottingham Forest target Allan Saint-Maximin during the summer, a report by The Athletic has claimed. Forest sporting director Filippo Giraldi is a huge fan and enquired about him in January.
Saint-Maximin was wanted by Eddie Howe two months ago, although his opportunities this season have been limited. The summer could be different though and the boss could let him leave.
The French forward arrived in England during the summer of 2021. He cost the Magpies £16 million from Nice and originally it looked as though Newcastle had got themselves a sound addition to the squad.
This season has been a frustrating one for Saint-Maximin. He’s not been considered a regular option in the team, scoring just once and claiming three assists.
It’s likely to be a big summer for Newcastle. With their new-found wealth and European qualification looking likely, the club will go in search of some serious quality.
It’s not clear how much the tricky winger would cost in the summer. He will still have three years to run on his contract, however, and is unlikely to come on the cheap.
Forest made the ambitious move to try and sign Saint-Maximin when they were in negotiations to sign Chris Wood. Newcastle were unwilling to let the player leave, however, with a successful season still on the cards at St James’ Park.
Newcastle could sell Forest-linked Saint-Maximin
It’s no secret that Giraldi likes Saint-Maximin. He tried to sign him for Watford when he was in a similar role there but the player chose to join Newcastle from Nice instead.
With that in mind, Forest will surely be in the mix to sign Saint-Maximin in the summer, should the Reds retain their status as a Premier League club.
The Reds will likely target quality over quantity during the next window. As a result, even if the winger doesn’t come cheap he could still fit within Forest’s plans.
Either way, it doesn’t seem as though Newcastle will take much convincing to sell him. If Forest can stay up this season, he might be the ideal signing to help the club kick on during 2023/24.