Allan Saint-Maximin has just told Newcastle United & Eddie Howe to seal £10m January transfer

Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin has already spoken to a potential Magpies transfer target ahead of the January transfer window.

The January window is fast-approaching, and Eddie Howe will be weighing up potential targets to further improve his squad after an impressive start to the season so far. Newcastle may be third in the Premier League, but there is still more than half of the season to play, and no one on Tyneside will be resting on their laurels.

After such a strong start, Newcastle know they have an opportunity to chase European qualification, but despite having the richest owner in the Premier League, the Magpies will have to spend wisely amid Financial Fair Play regulations.

Fortunately, there is a potential bargain to be had in the January window, with Borrusia Monchengladbach’s Marcus Thuram, who made a big impression at the World Cup with France, potentially available. Thuram is out of contract at the end of the season, and it’s claimed he could be sold for less than £10million as a result.

Due to that reduced price tag, a number of clubs are likely to be interested, but Newcastle have a secret weapon in Allan Saint-Maximin, who is close friends with the 25-year-old.

“He is a great player and I hope we have a chance to take him here,” Saint-Maximin told the Gazette. “I was so happy for him [to play at the World Cup].

“Yeah, I will be honest, I have chatted with him. For me, he’s a great player. I’ve known this guy a long time. I’ve been playing football with him when I was very young. I know all his family. He has great parents. He’s an incredible guy.”

France came close to retaining the World Cup after a stunning comeback in the final against Argentina, a fightback Thuram was a big part of after coming off the bench. Speaking about the defeat, Frenchman Saint-Maximin added: “Very, very difficult [for France]. We had a very difficult 75 minutes but you know, Argentina played very well with a lot of energy. I think the first penalty was very generous. I’m sure all the players are very upset because it’s a difficult loss to take.

“But we showed great character with the players like [Randal] Kolo Muani, Marcus Thuram and it was incredible what Kylian did to come back to the game.”