Allan Saint-Maximin says he does not see himself leaving Newcastle this summer, while weighing in on who he would like to bring to the club during the transfer window.
The winger was signed from Nice in 2019 and has established himself as one of the mainstays for the Magpies over the past three years at St James' Park, with a particularly impressive campaign this term as part of Eddie Howe's resurgance.
Those performances have seen him attract attention as he has featured alongside impressive new signings such as Bruno Guimarees and Kieran Trippier, but the Frenchman says he intends to remain loyal to a side who took a chance on him three years ago.
What has Saint-Maximin said about his future?
"To be honest, right now I don't see myself leaving Newcastle," Saint-Maximin told GOAL. "After that, there are a lot of things that can change. Several big clubs approached me for a future transfer.
"These are clubs that did not come for me when I was in Nice. Newcastle came at a very important time in my career. They gave me a lot of confidence. I am a very grateful person.
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"That's why, moreover, even at times when it could be very complicated for the club, like last season, I decided not to leave so that I had the chance. I feel good here."
Who would Saint-Maximin bring to Newcastle?
With a plus-sized transfer kitty at Howe's disposal, and with glowing testimonials from their new faces so far, the Magpies are poised to become a major transfer player this summer - and Saint-Maximin knows who he would like to join him at St James' Park.
"It's a conversation that we will certainly have between players, with the coach and the investors," he said. "The coach has a well-defined idea of what he needs for his team. If I had to choose, it would be the heart that would speak.
"I would most certainly want my friends to join the club. I am thinking for example of Ludovic Blas. I really like the person and what he also does in Nantes. He scored a lot of goals. It is an essential element [at] Nantes. I know that Bruno is very fond of [Lucas] Paqueta."