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Newcastle United news: Mills reacts to Allan Saint-Maximin's new contract

Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin is a “very valuable asset” after signing a new six-year contract, according to Danny Mills.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, the former Manchester City and England full-back said other clubs may have been looking at signing the Frenchman.

Newcastle announced last week that the 23-year-old had put pen-to-paper on a new six-year contract keeping him at St. James’ Park until 2026.

Saint-Maximin told NUFC TV that the warm reception of the fans had made Newcastle feel like home.

He said: “Every club I’d been before, the fans loved me – but not like the Newcastle fans. That’s really important, because for me, you have the football and everything, but you have the human and they give me something different.”

Asked by Football Insider whether Saint-Maximin deserved his new deal, Mills said: “He’s done very, very well because he’s exciting and offers something different.

“What happens is that other clubs start to go ‘Ooh, let’s have a little look, we quite like him, I think he might suit us.’

“Newcastle have been quite clever and thought ‘Right, let’s tie him down, let’s get it done and dusted and then if somebody does want to buy him and take him away from us then we’ve got a very valuable asset’ because he’s been tied down for a long-term period.”

Saint-Maximin scored three goals and provided five assists in 26 Premier League games last campaign in what was his first season at Newcastle.

This season he has featured in all but one of his side’s games and has scored one goal and contributed one assist, both in their 3-1 win over Burnley earlier this month.

In other news, a former Newcastle United player has been torn into for his “posturing” after a deadline day reveal.