Allan Saint-Maximin has been warned off a move to Manchester at either United or City, with Chris Waddle telling the highly-rated Newcastle winger that it would be “pointless” for him to give up being a key man on Tyneside for bench duty elsewhere.
The 23-year-old Frenchman has thrived at St James’ Park during his debut campaign in England.
He was snapped up from Nice in the summer of 2019 and has caught the eye with his direct running and creativity in the final third of the field.
With there plenty of potential to still be unlocked in his game, it has been suggested that Saint-Maximin could take another step up the footballing ladder at some stage in the near future.
Premier League rivals have been keeping a close eye on his development at Newcastle, while Paris Saint-Germain have also seen a move mooted, but Waddle believes staying put would be the best decision for a forward who needs regular game time.
The former Magpies star told the Racing Post: “While you can have too many flair players in a team, I love to see players who do something different and I like Allan Saint-Maximin.
“His performances have been eye-catching even if he would surely love to play further up the pitch as he did at Nice before he moved to Newcastle.
“Sometimes he may be guilty of displaying his skills in dangerous areas but Steve Bruce seems to take that into account and they get on well.
“He's 23 and his name is starting to be linked with other clubs. I see Manchester United have been mentioned and maybe there's a bit too much agent talk going on, but I don't think now is the time for him to be worrying about that.
“He could get a move to somewhere like Manchester City and he might have the chance to play in a more advanced position but his chances would be severely limited.
“That would be pointless. You have to play. I'll say it time and again.
“What would be the point of starting a couple of FA Cup matches and making 20 appearances as a substitute?
“He's in a much better place at Newcastle and I would urge him not to make the move too soon.
“It's fine when you are 36 and you just want to be part of something or you are looking after your bank balance. He's got most of his career ahead of him, so this is no time to waste it on the bench.”
Saint-Maximin has taken in 28 appearances for Newcastle this season, with four goals and seven assists contributed across those outings.