Rumour Mongering: Allan Saint-Maximin Tempts Liverpool

Photo by Newcastle United/Newcastle United via Getty Images

Some would like to believe the Reds are considering a move for Newcastle’s £70M man. We’re skeptical.

Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most exciting players since arriving at Newcastle in the summer of 2019 when he joined from Ligue 1’s Nice for a fee of around £20M

Now 24 years of age and beginning his third year at the club, talk has inevitably begun to turn to a potential departure with many believing the player could make an impact for a side competing for silverware and the European places.

Most recently, it was Italy’s CalcioMercato claiming that Liverpool, Chelsea, and Everton all want to sign the winger from the suburbs of Paris. Which might not seem to be an especially noteworthy transfer story on the surface.

After all, it’s an Italian outlet with a history of poorly sourced transfer chatter talking about a French player in England maybe moving to another English club. Saint-Maximin, though, is one of the Premier League’s most exciting players.

That means that as thin as the rumour might appear on the surface, it’s since been widely disseminated in England, leaving us now to acknowledge its existence. And to note that, realistically, it’s unlikely Liverpool would be interested.

First off, there have been reports Newcastle’s selling price for Saint-Maximin would be around £70M. Which might be justified if the player was as effective at scoring and creating goals as he is exciting to watch run at defenders.

The truth, though, is that while he’s at a similar age and stage in his career as Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, and Diogo Jota when the Reds signed them, his chance creation and conversion numbers are not at the level theirs were.

An outstanding 2021-22 could change that, but right now if you use Liverpool’s forwards—and their numbers when Liverpool signed each for half or less what Saint-Maximin will cost—as the baseline, the Newcastle man falls short.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com