Eddie Howe insists Allan Saint-Maximin has 'long-term future' at Newcastle United

Magpies attacker has been linked with a move away from the Premier League club this summer

Allan Saint-Maximin joined Newcastle United from Ligue 1 club Nice in 2019. Reuters

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has said that Allan Saint-Maximin has a "long-term future" at the Premier League club.

The French attacker is a huge fan favourite at St James' Park but has struggled for form and consistency this year and is without a goal since January.

There have been reports that Saint-Maximin, who moved to Tyneside from Nice for £16.5 million in 2019, could be sold this summer as the club's new era under their Saudi-backed owners kicks into gear.

But Howe, whose team take on Wolves in the Premier League on Friday, said they are not looking to sell the 25-year-old: "I've got a great relationship with Maxi," he said.

"I've really enjoyed working with him and we need him at his very best levels as he could potentially be the difference. He's an incredible talent and of course he has a long-term future at the club."

Having dragged themselves away from the bottom three with an unbeaten eight-game unbeaten run at the start of the year, Newcastle have since lost three games in a row - the last of which a 5-1 thrashing at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Mapgies currently sit 15th in the table, seven points from safety, but face the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in a tricky run-in.

Asked if the players had seen a different manager this week after the Spurs drubbing, Howe – whose side faces Wolves, Leicester and Crystal Palace in back-to-back home games after four on the trot on the road – said: “Certainly this week, without going into too much detail, I’ve maybe changed the way I’ve dealt with the players or certain situations because I didn’t like what I saw in the second half and I think no-one connected with the club liked what they saw in the second half.

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“Look, I embrace the wins and I love that positive feeling, and I want to see other people happy, I want to see our supporters enjoying success. That’s my motivation to do the job.

“But I don’t think it’s healthy for me to get caught up in it and become a person of extreme emotion, I don’t think that’s going to help my players at all, so staying calm, using my brain to think logically and intelligently, I think, are the things that I need.

“When we went on our unbeaten run, I was the same, probably sat here and you’re thinking, ‘Come on, give us a bit more’. But then on the other side of it, I’m exactly the same.

“It doesn’t mean that I don’t feel the emotion because I do. Losing for me is very painful, but it’s important I don’t get caught up in it because then I’ve got another game to prepare for, so it’s making sure I do my job effectively to help the players perform in the next match.”

Howe will make a late decision on midfielder Joe Willock, who has been nursing a knee problem for several weeks, ahead of the Wolves game, while Paraguayan attacker Miguel Almiron is fit after recovering from illness.