Built like a rugby league forward with the grace of a ballerina, there are few players or personalities like Allan Saint-Maximin in the Premier League.
The Newcastle winger was “unplayable” in Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Everton, according to Toffees manager Frank Lampard, and it was a performance which had fans and his own boss Eddie Howe purring.
Saint-Maximin’s unique ability to skip past defenders with his trickery, but also use his physique to bounce them out of his way has led to a Premier League high of 101 completed dribbles this season.
That is 18 more than Wolves’ Adama Traore, who has now left for Barcelona, and more than double the 48 dribbles completed by Tottenham’s Lucas Moura, who is third highest in that category.
It led to Howe saying the 24-year-old was “the best dribbler I’ve worked with” and based on his current form could “100%” get into the France national side – an honour which has yet to be achieved despite playing for the country’s youth teams.
“I’m excited by him every time he steps onto the pitch,” Howe said of a player he calls ‘Maxi’.
“There’s that feeling you never know what he’s going to do. He’s a match-winner but I want to see that on a consistent basis.”
That inconsistency is an area that can frustrate fans, who also complain when Saint-Maximin tries to dribble past entire teams by himself.
But he more than makes up for it with his equally maverick personality, whether it’s his dazzling hairstyles, cutting opposition fans and journalists down to size on social media – or even creating his own board game based on Greek mythology.
“It’s a treat to watch him,” said Newcastle fan Charlotte Hope of the True Faith podcast. “He is one of the most exciting players in the Premier League and I think even some opposition fans look forward to seeing what he can do.”
The unpredictability is also part of the fun, and Howe feels there is more to come from him, starting against Aston Villa on Sunday as Newcastle attempt to claw themselves away from the relegation zone.
Taking Saint-Maximin’s game to ‘another level’
Saint-Maximin is now into his third season with Newcastle since joining from French team Nice for a reported £16.5m in the summer of 2019.
Yet for all his mazy dribbles and undoubted ability to turn a game Newcastle’s way, his headline statistics are not that electrifying.
Saint-Maximin has managed only three goals and four assists in each of the last two Premier League seasons, although he was out for two months in the past campaign after suffering from coronavirus. Those returns came from 26 and 25 appearances respectively.
This season, he has already scored five goals, has three assists and 22 appearances under his belt, and a fitter Newcastle team under Howe may yet bring more from their talisman.
It has taken time for Saint-Maximin to settle under the new manager, however. he has a knack of holding onto the ball for too long in certain situations. In the recent 1-1 draw with Watford, supporters were getting on his back before he scored another wonder goal.
Hope added: “Sometimes, he doesn’t pass very quickly, which frustrates fans. There were fans behind me against Everton who were screaming at him. But I can take that if he goes on to produce what he did on Tuesday.”
Howe’s decision to keep the winger on the left side is certainly paying off, with more chances already created this season than his two previous terms. Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has created a higher percentage of chances for his team.
“I really like him and getting to know him better will be beneficial for me and knowing how to get more out of him,” Howe said. “I want to take his game to another level.
“Sometimes it’s about sitting down with players and asking questions about decisions on the pitch and moments you can isolate and maybe thinking, ‘could that have been a better decision?’ We do that with everyone.
“But he’s always wanting to stay out afterwards and try to improve his shooting and crossing and always working on things so I can’t compliment him enough on that.”
Building a team around ‘Maxi’
Sparkling performances would always lead to questions about Saint-Maximin’s future at Newcastle.
Former boss Steve Bruce would maintain that “you never want to sell your best players”, but with the club flirting with relegation last season, there was always a chance a bigger club could come sniffing.
That is no longer the case under the club’s new Saudi Arabia-backed ownership. Not only will Newcastle resist the advances of other clubs because they can afford to, but Howe feels Saint-Maximin is the kind of player they can build a team around.
The new owners’ ambitions will also hopefully stave off any concerns after Saint-Maximin previously stated he did not want to fight relegation every season.
“There’s no intention from my side to lose Maxi and I’ve seen no indication from the player that his head is anywhere other than Newcastle and trying to elevate the team out of the difficulties we’re in,” Howe added.
“I see a player that loves playing at St James’ Park in front of supporters. He’s idolised by them and that relationship is key to Maxi, I think.
“My main focus every day is trying to find an edge to make his game better and I think if he does then he’ll enjoy a great career, hopefully here for many, many years.”
