Newcastle United’s Alain Saint-Maximin has completed his Saudi medical.

After receiving capital from a Saudi consortium, Newcastle actively sought to change their regime. Newcastle brought in Eddie Howe to implement a clear tactical plan, and strengthened the squad with the likes of Bruno Guimarães, Dan Byrne and Sven Bortmann.

The move proved successful. In 2021-22,바카라사이트 after a relegation battle in the first half of the season, the team made a huge second-half surge to climb up the table. This continued into the 2022-23 season. Backed by a solid defence, Newcastle made every game count, finishing fourth in the league and punching their ticket to the UEFA Champions League (UCL). They also reached the final of the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup), but lost out to Manchester United.

Now, Newcastle has its sights set higher. Their goal for the new season is trophies. To that end, they’ve been active in the transfer market. They have already brought in Sandro Tonali, who has developed into a top midfielder at AC Milan, and are close to signing Harvey Barnes, the ‘ace’ of relegated Leicester City.

They are also looking to sell. Chris Wood has been sent to Nottingham Forest, while Ryan Fraser and Loris Karius are on the selling list.

Saint-Maximilien are also close to a move. Domestically, he has been dubbed the English Premier League’s (EPL) dribbling trio alongside Adama Traore and Wilfried Zaha. His flamboyant style of play allowed him to make a short but strong impact. After joining the club in the 2019-20 season, he quickly established himself as a key part of the team, scoring five goals and providing five assists in 35 league appearances in 2021-22. However, his playing time dropped significantly in 2022-23 and his position faltered.

Transfer speculation has since emerged. The Saudis, who have been attracting European players in recent years, approached Saint-Maximilien, who were battling AC Milan for the player’s signature.

The Saudis were the winners. “Al Ahli and Newcastle have reached an agreement in principle over a transfer to Saint-Maximilien,” Fabrice Hawkins of French outlet RMC Sport wrote on social media on the 19th. Al Ahly have made an offer in excess of €25m for the player, with an estimated salary of €12m. All parties are convinced of the transfer.”

Since then, negotiations have progressed rapidly. Medicals have been completed. On the 23rd, transfer market expert Rudi Galletti announced on social media that “Saint-Maximilien have successfully completed the medical at Al Ahli. We are now close to making it official.”