Steve Bruce says Newcastle do not want to sell Saint-Maximin or Almiron

With both forwards having been in sparkling form since the end of the footballing lockdown, speculation has started to mount over their long-term futures.

Saint-Maximin has been linked with a number of the Premier League’s top sides, with his current contract, which was signed when he joined from Nice in the summer, not really reflecting the giant strides he has made in the second half of the summer.

Almiron has been touted as a possible summer target for Atletico Madrid in the Spanish press, with the Paraguayan’s agent suggesting his Newcastle contract contains a release clause that could pave the way for his departure from St James’ Park.

Bruce is aware of the mounting interest in both players, and is happy to see their performances on the pitch meriting such attention. However, he is adamant Newcastle do not intend to lose either this summer.

 Bruce said: “There’s always going to be speculation at Newcastle. To be linked with other clubs, they have to be performing well. My job is to make sure they keep performing well and then let that other stuff look after itself.

“They’ve only been here a short while and they’ve performed very well. Our job is to keep our best players. We certainly don’t want to be losing them – we want to be building around them and that’s the plan.”

Bruce has been nominated for the Manager of the Month award for June, with Saint-Maximin on the shortlist for the Player of the Month honour.

The Frenchman was all-but-unplayable as he claimed three assists in Newcastle’s 4-1 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday, and Bruce has been delighted with his performances in the last few games.

He said: “Every interview I do now, he’s the big talking point. People enjoy watching him. He’s certainly different, and blessed with a natural ability most people haven’t got.

“The assist for Sean’s (Longstaff) goal, I don’t think there’s anyone on the pitch who could beat three people in five yards like he did. He’s still got a long way to go but we’re delighted with his improvement and the way he’s adapting to the Premier League now.

“He’s already a fans’ favourite. But the key has to be, can he reach that consistency that top players have? He’s got all the ability to be a top player, it’s now the mental side to do it week in, week out. That’s the challenge from him and my staff, to get the best out of him. But he certainly has the natural ingredients to be anything he wants to be.”