Saint-Maximin leaves Newcastle for Saudi’s Al-Ahli

Allan Saint-Maximin has made 124 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions, scoring 13 goalsAllan Saint-Maximin has left Newcastle United, joining Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli for an undisclosed fee. The French forward, 26, becomes the fourth high profile player to join the Saudi Arabian champions this summer.They have also signed Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino and Edouard Mendy from Premier League clubs.Saint-Maximin, who joined the Magpies from Nice in 2019 and scored 12 Premier League goals in 111 games, has signed a four-year deal.On Saturday, Saint-Maximin confirmed he was leaving Newcastle with an emotional social media post, saying his “greatest trophy” was playing for the club.Al-Ahli are run by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also owns Newcastle.Reports have claimed rival Premier League clubs are concerned that Saint-Maximin’s transfer fee, which has not been disclosed, could be inflated in order to help Newcastle comply with Financial Fair Play regulations.But manager Howe has said the transfer to Saudi “will satisfy the Premier League”, while the league’s chief executive Richard Masters insists its rules are “robust”.Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth said last year that the club must be open to selling players in order to comply with spending restrictions.This summer, Howe has been able to bring in Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from AC Milan for £55m and English winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester City for £38m.

Source link