Howe: ‘No chance we’re selling star player’ after Allan Saint-Maximin departure
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, Allan Saint-Maximin’s transfer from Newcastle United to Al Ahli has been concluded in a transaction valued close to $30 million.
Following ASM’s absence from past friendlies played by the Magpies, Eddie Howe previously mentioned the transaction being close to being completed.
The Saudi Pro League team’s “successfully completed medical” with the 26-year-old winger “last week,” and he is now prepared to sign “a three-year contract” with them.
Early on Saturday, ASM used his personal social network to send the Toon Army one more goodbye message.
Howe stated that conversations with another team about the transfer were ongoing but did not identify the team. Saint-Maximin is reportedly leaving Newcastle “on good terms” and with “the best wishes from everyone associated with the club,” according to the reports, writes Ornstein.
The sale is anticipated to go through, despite The Athletic’s story that a number of clubs were preparing to voice their concerns to the Premier League regarding the move due to the multi-club ownership disagreement between Newcastle and Al Ahli, both of which are owned by the same PIF.
Howe expressed regret for losing Saint-Maximin but provided an explanation for why the sale was necessary according to financial fair play rules.
“Maxi is the player that’s generating the interest,” he said. “FFP is a new dynamic that truly emerged once we realized it might affect us, which was after my first window here. Player trading is a crucial component of it since without trading, you can’t hit it. This window, we’re compelled to trade a player. I’d be happy if the agreement fell through. It would certainly limit our capacity to add new players, and we could then need to consider selling a player. That is how Financial Fair Play has affected us.
Speaking to the media on Friday night, Howe expressed his optimism about Bruno’s future at Newcastle despite the transfer news regarding the sale of ASM.
After Newcastale’s last-minute 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., Howe asserted, “There is no doubt in my mind about [Bruno’s] future. We would love Bruno to extend his time with us for a long time.”
The declaration follows the persistent speculations that Bruno was considering leaving Newcastle in a future transfer window, possibly to a bigger club like Real Madrid in Spain.
Howe responded, “Bruno knows how we feel about him, but I’m not a party to [the contract renegotiation talks] every day. He is ecstatic to be here. We sincerely hope a solution may be reached.
Newcastle United will find it simpler to assemble a potent squad in the future while still adhering to the FFP regulations if they can hold onto their finest players and assets for a longer period of time. This is because the club’s revenue will continue to grow consistently.
