The next Allan Saint-Maximin could be on his way to Newcastle for £60m

Selling the majority of your most influential players seems like a disaster waiting to happen, but for Newcastle United, it marks the start of a new era under Matthias Jaissle.

Moves for Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have provided the German with the perfect opportunity to make his own mark on the Magpies’ senior ranks.

He already appears to be getting a tune out of the players at his disposal on Tyneside, having avoided defeat against Liverpool and beating West Brom in the Carabao Cup.

However, the new boss must wish he could call upon one former player, who got the wheels in motion for the Magpies during Eddie Howe’s tenure at St James’ Park.

Why Saint-Maximin kickstarted Newcastle’s push for silverware

Back in the summer of 2019, Newcastle United completed the signing of French winger Allan Saint-Maximin from French side Nice in an attempt to add more pace and flair to the frontline.

The 29-year-old racked up 124 appearances for the Magpies during his four year spell on Tyneside, with his time in the first team often allowing fans to get off their seats every time he had the ball.

His unpredictable nature in possession made him a fan-favourite, with his ability to drive past an opponent offering a positive in a dark period on the pitch for the club.

Saint-Maximin registered 32 goal contributions for the Magpies and undoubtedly set the club on the right path for success during Howe’s tenure at St James’.

He featured 31 times during his final campaign for the club, subsequently helping Howe’s men reach the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United – before falling at the final hurdle.

Whilst he had departed England before the eventual trophy win, the club’s route to success simply wouldn’t have been possible without his efforts in forward areas.

His arrival sparked a different calibre of signings, which ultimately allowed the club to end their generational wait for a trophy back in the 2024/25 season.

How Jaissle can land his own Saint-Maximin this summer

After Gordon’s subsequent move to Barcelona this summer, the current Newcastle side are crying out for a direct option off the left-hand side to provide the goods for Jaissle’s side.

Harvey Barnes started the season opener against Liverpool, whilst summer arrival Bazoumana Toure made his first competitive appearance in the cup win against West Brom in midweek.

However, the hierarchy are still hunting for added reinforcements in such an area, which has seen Lille star Matias Fernandez-Pardo emerging as a late transfer target.

The Athletic have provided the latest on a possible deal and claimed that the Belgian is currently the club’s primary target before the window closes on Tuesday.

They also claim that the player himself has stated his desire to leave the Ligue 1 outfit this window, and while the Magpies felt he was ‘unattainable’ at one stage, his willingness to join has seen them re-enter the race.

Other reports have claimed that a deal could well be an expensive one in the coming days, as his current employers are said to be demanding at least £60m to sanction a sale.

However, despite the mammoth price tag, it could prove to be a superb deal for Jaissle’s side, with Fernandez-Pardo having all the tools to fit into the manager’s system.

He would emulate former star Saint-Maximin in moving to Newcastle from a French outfit, whilst starring on a consistent basis in the final third back in Ligue 1.

Fernandez-Pardo registered 13 combined goals and assists in France’s top-flight last campaign, with such a figure the ninth highest of any attacker within the division.

The Belgian managed to create an impressive average of 1.4 chances per 90 last term – a tally which placed him above 87% of other wingers across France’s top-division.

Such numbers are similar to Saint-Maximin’s before his own move to St James’ Park, with the Lille star able to become the next player from Ligue 1 to capture the hearts of the fanbase.

The Belgian has developed into an extremely direct wide option, as reflected by his tally of 1.4 successful dribbles completed per 90 throughout 2025/26.

Like his chance creation, Fernandez-Pardo ranked highly compared to others in his position, as he managed to register more dribbles than 86% of players in Europe’s top-five leagues.

His direct nature is also extremely similar to that of the former French winger, with the supporters potentially able to get behind another hugely talented young forward option.

Whilst he may cost a pretty penny this summer, a deal for the winger could hand Jaissle the perfect player to start off the left-hand side of his attack on a regular basis.

At just 21, he had the opportunity to thrive in the immediate future, but the move could also be an investment – as the winger possesses a lot of potential to become a world-class attacker.