An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their chances of signing Mauro Icardi in the summer transfer window...
What's the talk?
Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Magpies have been offered the opportunity to sign the PSG centre-forward before next month's deadline.
Reporting for CaughtOffside, Romano said: “I’ve written about Mauro Icardi being offered to Manchester United, and also Arsenal earlier in the summer, though they preferred to sign Gabriel Jesus. I can now reveal that the Argentine also been offered to Newcastle.
“Icardi’s situation is really difficult. PSG want to find a solution soon, but the player does not intend to accept unwanted destinations.
“He has been offered to Man Utd and Newcastle who have not made any kind of proposal for Icardi so far. There are also Galatasaray emissaries who contacted Icardi’s camp this week.”
Imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin
Earlier this year, Saint-Maximin claimed that he could rack up 15 assists if he had better finishers around him at St. James' Park.
By signing the £185k-per-week PSG gem, Newcastle could now answer the Frenchman's prayers by pairing him with an exceptional finisher.
Since the start of the 2014/15 campaign, Icardi has scored an eye-catching 125 league goals from 119.70 expected goals. This means that he scored roughly five more than he was expected to from the chances he was provided with in that time.
He has proven over the course of a number of seasons that he is a clinical finisher at the top level and, therefore, the type of player Saint-Maximin has called out for the club to sign.
Juventus and Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini previously lauded the Argentine forward's ability in his autobiography, saying:
“Among the great attackers I have faced, I highly value Icardi, who inside the area is almost impossible to mark. Mauro against Juve has often scored, it hurt me.
"He’s a world-class centre-forward, even if he lacks something in the collective game, he’s a Trezeguet but with different characteristics, lethal in the aerial game but perfectible outside the surface.”
These quotes back up his impressive finishing statistics and suggest that, if Howe can get the best out of him, Newcastle could land a terrific number nine by snapping him up in the coming weeks.
At the age of 29, he is not at the end of his career and should still have plenty to offer to the Magpies - given his sublime goalscoring record - if Howe deems him suited to the way he wants to play.
Should the club opt to take advantage of their opportunity to bring the Argentina international to St. James' Park then Saint-Maximin's prayers would be answered and he would have to live up to his word when it comes to assists.