Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed that Allan Saint-Maximin is set to leave the club amid reported interest from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ahli.
The 26-year-old recently reunited with his Magpies teammates following a summer break and played a staring role in the 3-2 pre-season win over Gateshead last weekend.
However, Saint-Maximin was left out of the Newcastle squad that beat Rangers 2-1 in a friendly at Ibrox on Tuesday night, after being given permission not to travel to Glasgow.
A recent report claimed that Al-Ahli are pushing to sign Saint-Maximin and are currently in negotiations with the Frenchman over a possible move to the Middle East.
Howe has admitted that he is keen to keep hold of Saint-Maximin, but has acknowledged that Newcastle have to sell players to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
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Responding to questions about Saint-Maximin after the win over Rangers, Howe told reporters, as quoted by journalist Fabrizio Romano: "Saint-Maximin? Talks are on.
"With FFP we have to trade, otherwise, we would be stuck this summer – I don't want to lose him.
"FFP forces it, to a degree. It looks like it will happen. Sometimes these things have to happen for a club to grow".
Since the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle was completed in November 2021, the Magpies have spent over £250m on new signings, recruiting the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon for fees in excess of £40m.
Newcastle's latest marquee signing is Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali who moved to St James' Park from AC Milan for around £55m last month.
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Newcastle are believed to be looking at ways to improve Howe's squad further as they embark on their first season with Champions League football for the first time in 20 years, courtesy of their impressive fourth-place finish in the Premier League last season.
However, player sales are required as Howe revealed last week that Newcastle are operating with "a very strict budget" this summer.
With the Magpies believed to be leading the race for top target Harvey Barnes, Saint-Maximin has emerged as the standout candidate to depart St James' Park having failed to build a reputation as a prolific goalscorer.
Indeed, the Frenchman has scored just 13 goals and providing 21 assists in 124 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions since joining the club from Nice in 2019, including just one goal and five assists recorded in 25 Premier League games last season.
Along with Barnes, Newcastle are understood to hold a strong interest in Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while Howe is also thought to be in the market for a new central defender.
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