Chelsea make enquiry over Allan Saint-Maximin availability?

Chelsea reportedly enquired about the availability of Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin earlier this summer.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel is known to want to make further changes to his Blues squad before the start of September, the priority being the centre of his defence.

However, a number of the club's attacking players have been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge, a consequence of their inconsistency last season.

While Raheem Sterling has been signed from Manchester City, speculation persists that other fresh faces may make the switch to West London over the coming weeks.

According to The Athletic, a small level of interest has been shown in the availability of Saint-Maximin.

© Reuters

The Frenchman has spent the last three seasons at St James' Park, contributing 11 goals and 14 assists from his 86 appearances in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old's most productive year came during the last campaign with five strikes and five assists coming from his 35 outings.

Nevertheless, the Magpies want a more significant end product off one of their key men, particularly now that they want to qualify for European football.

The report claims that Chelsea are one of several teams who have made "tentative enquiries" regarding a potential deal for Saint-Maximin.

© Reuters

However, it is claimed that Newcastle would only consider selling Saint-Maximin during the current transfer window for a fee in excess of £40m.

With four years still remaining on his contract and a lack of formal interest following on from that valuation, the player is likely to remain on Tyneside for 2022-23.

Furthermore, head coach Eddie Howe is yet to make a single attack-minded addition ahead of the new season, ensuring that Saint-Maximin is still regarded as a first-choice player on the flank.

Instead, approximately £60m has been spent on securing the services of Nick Pope, Matt Targett and Sven Botman.