Newcastle United coaches think Allan Saint-Maximin is most effective in home matches against deep-sitting opponents.
Journalist Chris Waugh told the Athletic what he has heard from people inside the club about the £16.5 million French forward.
Saint-Maximin was almost Newcastle’s only source of attacking threat at times under Steve Bruce, but has struggled to find his place at times since the takeover.
The Bruce regime relied on him to often show his counter-attacking quality, but Howe’s staff now think he is better at breaking down massed ranks at St James’ Park.
What Newcastle coaches have noticed about Allan Saint-Maximin
“The thing with Allan Saint-Maximin is, and this is what they think inside the club as well, is that he still does bring something different to Newcastle, particularly in home matches against sides who sit deep,” Waugh said.
“Allan Saint-Maximin is still vital to Newcastle, certainly in the short to medium term.
“He might not really have performed on Friday night, whether that was down to injury or not, he is still someone who is highly valued within the club.”
The Athletic recently reported that if Magpies received a decent enough offer for the Frenchman, they would at least consider it.
Howe has been looking at getting a new wide forward in for a while now, and James Maddison is a player they clearly like a lot.
Newcastle are still trying to comply with FFP, which means that they may have to balance the books at times by selling players who still have something to offer in order to afford ones who are a better fit.
It remains to be seen where Saint-Maximin’s future lies come the summer, but between now and then, he could have a role to play in terms of breaking teams down in the race for the Champions League spots.