'No chance at all' of Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle United this summer, says Steve Bruce

Steve Bruce has declared there is no chance of Allan Saint-Maximin leaving Newcastle United this summer as he described the Frenchman as “the best pound-for-pound signing” of the season.

Although there have been suggestions Saint-Maximin is already agitating for a new contract - even though he is just one year into the six-year deal he signed when he joined from Nice for £16m last summer - Newcastle are relaxed about some crude attempts to unsettle him.

Instead, they will ignore the links with other clubs, confident none in Europe have the money to get anywhere near matching their asking price, and will sit down to discuss a new deal when the financial impact of Covid-19 has been properly assessed.

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“There is no chance he will be sold this summer, no chance at all,” said Bruce, after both he and Saint-Maximin were nominated for Premier League manager and player of the month.

“Look, for Allan and [Miguel] Almiron, the speculation about their futures and this, that and the other, they've only been here a short amount of time.

“I'm not going to be naive enough to not think every player in the world has got their own price. I'm sure if you asked Leicester, did they ever want to sell Harry Maguire, they probably didn't, but you have to get to a certain level.

“The good thing for me is they're performing on the pitch, which is why they're linked [to other clubs]. Every conversation I have with a journalist or broadcaster is about Allan and we enjoy watching him. The rest is up to him - he's got to prolong it.

“He's' done it for a few weeks, he's got to stay there at that level and let us deal with all that speculation when it comes.  There are reports about Almiron today [to Atletico Madrid] too - if they keep playing the way they are, it's inevitable they are going to attract so-called bigger fish so let's deal with that when it comes.”

Bruce has always admitted that Saint-Maximin needs careful man-management, which includes a blast of the hairdryer once in a while.

“There have been one or two moments, but he needs to be reminded of that now and again,” Bruce explained. “I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve fined him for earrings and head bands but he’s starting to understand it.

“There is nothing wrong with that. It’s how he responds to it and the great thing about him, the enjoyable thing, is he just loves playing football. He’s like a kid in the playground. Players with real natural ability are like that.

“He is hard work at times, there is no disputing that, but as long as he keeps performing, we will manage him the best way we can and try to unlock the vast potential he has.”

Bruce believes Newcastle pulled off a stunning deal to land him for just £16m. He added: “I wouldn’t put a price on him [to sell]. When you’re looking at the money we bought him for, he is arguably the best pound-for-pound signing in the Premier League. You show me another better. What he has produced this season we have probably got the buy of the season.”