World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit believes Arsenal should sign Allan Saint-Maximin from Newcastle this summer. The Magpies winger has been linked with a £50million move away from St. James' Park this summer with a number of Premier League clubs reportedly keen on his signature.
It's fair to say Saint-Maximin has struggled for consistency this season, but his stats are among the best of his Tyneside tenure. A recent interview in France put the cat amongst the pigeons, claiming he could have had more assists with better players.
The winger has since clarified his comments after Howe asked him to explain himself to the Magpies dressing room. Arsenal are expected to be active this summer, with the likes of Pepe expected to leave the Emirates but Petit believes the Gunners need more strength in depth.
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He told Genting Casino, “I've heard big names as well, Jesus, Sterling, I really like Zaha, or even someone like Saint-Maximin from Newcastle. Martinelli is a very good player, just like Saka, but when they get injured, who's going to play on the left and right?
"There are no options, they need at least four players, at least two up front.”
Newcastle themselves could use the money from a potential Saint-Maximin sale to reinvest into the squad. One name linked with the Magpies is Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, who has enjoyed a renaissance in recent weeks despite his contract set to expire this summer.
Contract talks between the two parties are reported to have broken down and Newcastle are among the interested parties. However, Petit hopes the striker will stay at the Emirates beyond this summer.
“No, I hope he's going to stay," Petit said. "To be honest, he's made a big impression since he's played regular football with the team. He's also scored some important goals as well, in terms of performance, you can see he has improved on the pitch, as well as his teammates.
“I don't know what Lacazette is going to do at the end of the season, but for sure, even with Lacazette and Nketiah, they would still need a striker who can score goals, at least score 20 to 25 goals per season. They need it to compete with the big guns as well, this is why I hope Nketiah is going to stay at the club.
"For me, he has a future at the club. Just like Smith-Rowe, Martinelli, Saka, they're young players from the academy. I hope he is going to stay but I hope Arsenal are going to buy a different kind of striker as well.”
