SportsEverton eyeing move for £38.5k-p/w 'wizard' who recently tore them apart, club 'open' to sale
Everton are ‘keeping tabs’ on Allan Saint-Maximin, who will be allowed to leave Newcastle United this summer.
That’s according to a report from 90min correspondent Graeme Bailey.
The lowdown
Newcastle paid £16.5m to sign Saint-Maximin from Nice ahead of the 2019/20 season. Just over a year after his arrival, he signed a £38.5k-per-week contract extension, ostensibly tying him to the club until the summer of 2026.
The Frenchman, who is valued at £28.8m by Transfermarkt, has been directly involved in 26 goals (scored 12, assisted 14) in his 85 appearances for Newcastle.
The latest
Sharing a link to his article via Twitter, Bailey wrote that Newcastle are ‘open’ to a ‘summer exit’ for Saint-Maximin. The ‘French wing wizard’ would like a pay rise, but in order to get one, he ‘might have to leave’ St James’ Park.
As per 90min, Everton are monitoring the situation ahead of the summer transfer window, although a move is only viable if they stay in the Premier League. They could face competition from Wolves, who view Saint-Maximin as a replacement for exit-bound Adama Traore.
The verdict
This is a prospective signing that Everton should perhaps avoid.
For one, they already have Demarai Gray on the left wing, and he has been their highest-performing player so far this season according to WhoScored metrics (6.85/10 average). Indeed, within the Everton squad, only Richarlison (eight) can better his tally of seven Premier League goal involvements (five goals, two assists) this season.
What’s more, for all Saint-Maximin’s brilliance in possession – he leads the top flight for successful dribbles per 90 minutes and completed a whopping 10 out of 13 as he tore Everton apart in a 3-1 Newcastle win in February – he offers very little off the ball.
Data from FBRef shows that the 25-year-old ranks in the bottom 12 percentiles (among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues) for pressures and tackles per 90 minutes.
Overall, the costs involved are probably larger than the benefits.
In other news, Patrick Boyland drops news of three potential Everton absences ahead of Burnley clash
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