Newcastle United now view Dominik Szoboszlai as the perfect Allan Saint-Maximin replacement at St. James’ Park, transfer insider Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT.
Eddie Howe has wasted no time in identifying Newcastle’s summer transfer targets, with the Magpies expected to make a move for Szoboszlai in the coming days.
Newcastle United transfer news – Dominik Szoboszlai
Few could’ve imagined the turnaround from one season to the next under Howe, with the ex-Bournemouth chief guiding Newcastle from a relegation battle in 2021/22, to Champions League qualification just 12 months later.
While a fantastic achievement, Howe is not resting on his laurels and has already set about bolstering his Newcastle squad to make it Champions League-ready.
That started with the pursuit of Italian gem Sandro Tonali, who at the time of writing is on the verge of sealing a £60 million move to the North-East (The Athletic).
The AC Milan midfielder caught the eye during the Rossoneri’s run to the Champions League semi-finals and will bring some much-needed continental pedigree to the Newcastle dressing room.
Another man who has already graced Europe’s most premier stage before is Szoboszlai, and the forward has caught the eye since moving to RB Leipzig two years ago.
It’s claimed by NewcastleWorld that the Hungarian has impressed that much, Newcastle are readying an approach for the attacker, which would see him join up with Howe’s side.
The report suggests that upon completion of the Tonali deal, the Newcastle hierarchy will switch attention to Szoboszlai, who reportedly has a £61 million release clause in his contract.
What has Dean Jones said about Szoboszlai to Newcastle?
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT about their transfer business, transfer insider Jones said: “I’ve said for a while that I expect Saint-Maximin to leave and to be honest, exits like that are necessary for Newcastle to keep upgrading this team. It would mean the door opens to a Szoboszlai or Maddison.
“They admire both players for sure, but Maddison has that edge whereby there would be little settling in time and almost no risk in terms of him being successful. Szoboszlai probably has a higher ceiling in my opinion and he’s so good and can be one of the very best in the game in his role.”
Will Newcastle sell Saint-Maximin this summer?
According to a report by Football Insider, Saint-Maximin isn’t believed to be happy at Newcastle and could push for a move this summer.
It’s suggested that the dynamic winger will seek a St. James’ Park exit in the coming weeks, with the Frenchman keen to test his talents elsewhere.
The Sun have reported that Milan could be one of the sides who look to snatch the 26-year-old off Newcastle’s hands, with alternative interest also coming from elsewhere.
Should Newcastle be able to facilitate a deal which sees them land a healthy sum of cash for Saint-Maximin, while reinvesting it into the purchase of Szoboszlai, it’s unlikely they’ll be many Magpies fans unhappy with such a move.