Manchester United are considering a late swoop for Newcastle United attacker Allan Saint-Maximin, according to a report.
The 25-year-old has made a bright start to the new season and provided two assists in Sunday's pulsating 3-3 draw against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
Saint-Maximin was also a standout performer in steering Newcastle away from relegation last season, recording five goals and five assists in 35 top-flight appearances.
Earlier this summer, London duo Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were credited with an interest in the French attacker.
However, Media Foot claims that Man United are closely monitoring Saint-Maximin and they will contemplate testing Newcastle's resolve with a late bid.
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The report adds that the Red Devils admire Saint-Maximin's explosive profile, but they are aware that it will be challenging to prise the attacker away from St James' Park considering that he still has four years remaining on his contract.
Despite United's interest, manager Eddie Howe insists that Saint-Maximin is not for sale along with midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who has recently been linked with Real Madrid.
When asked about Saint-Maximin's future at a press conference ahead of Tuesday's EFL Cup tie with Tranmere Rovers, Howe said: "Very similar answer to the one I gave about Bruno [Guimaraes].
"We're trying to build a squad, we're trying to add competition for places. Certainly, we don't want to weaken our team."
Speaking to reporters about Saint-Maximin after the draw against Man City, Howe said: "It was his best performance since I've been managing him. He got every aspect of his game in a very good place. His pace was there, you could see he was electric.
"His decision-making with the ball was very good, he defended well, I thought he gave a great display. In that form, he gives us a totally different dimension to our team. It's so important for us.
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"The challenge for Maxi is, 'Can you bring that game every week, not just in flashes?' That will dictate how good a season he has."
Saint-Maximin is still regarded as an invaluable attacking asset at St James' Park even though the Magpies are looking to bolster their options in the final third.
A recent report claims that they have reached an agreement with Watford to sign forward Joao Pedro for around £30m.
Meanwhile, Man United completed the signing of 30-year-old midfielder Casemiro on Monday night ahead of their 2-1 Premier League win over Liverpool.
While Saint-Maximin is a target for Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils are set to focus on their pursuit of Ajax's Antony and PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo, while they are yet to give up hope in their quest to recruit Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
Oliver Thomas
