Former England and Newcastle legend Chris Waddle has urged Allan Saint-Maximin not to leave the Magpies too soon.
The French winger has been United's talisman this term and his form, particularly since football resumed after the coronavirus lockdown, has caught the eye.
His pace and trickery have given Premier League defenders nightmares and he is seen as the man to build Newcastle's future around. 10 of Newcastle's 11 wins have been with Saint-Maximin in the side and Steve Bruce's side have managed just one win in the 12 games he has missed this term through injury.
But given his performances since joining the club from Nice in the summer of 2019, it is unsurprising to see Saint-Maximin linked with some top European clubs.
The likes of PSG and Napoli have been credited with an interest in recent weeks, while in England, Arsenal and Manchester United are among the names to have been mentioned alongside the 23-year-old.
Once he adds a consistent end product to his game it seems only inevitable that Saint-Maximin will go on to play at the very highest level but Waddle feels he has more developing to do at Newcastle before he can think about that.
"While you can have too many flair players in a team, I love to see players who do something different and I like Allan Saint-Maximin," Waddle told the Racing Post.
"His performances have been eye-catching even if he would surely love to play further up the pitch as he did at Nice before he moved to Newcastle. Sometimes he may be guilty of displaying his skills in dangerous areas but Steve Bruce seems to take that into account and they get on well.
"He's 23 and his name is starting to be linked with other clubs. I see Manchester United have been mentioned and maybe there's a bit too much agent talk going on, but I don't think now is the time for him to be worrying about that.
"He could get a move to somewhere like Manchester City and he might have the chance to play in a more advanced position but his chances would be severely limited.
"That would be pointless. You have to play. I'll say it time and again.
"What would be the point of starting a couple of FA Cup matches and making 20 appearances as a substitute? He's in a much better place at Newcastle and I would urge him not to make the move too soon.
"It's fine when you are 36 and you just want to be part of something or you are looking after your bank balance. He's got most of his career ahead of him, so this is no time to waste it on the bench."
It was announced this week that the Premier League have agreed on a 10-week summer transfer window opening on July 27, before closing on October 5.
The Premier League said that following consultation with the English Football League, a domestic-only window will also be added from October 5 and close on October 16.
However, Waddle doesn't expect to see much transfer business as football clubs adapt to the financial constraints placed on them as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The transfer window has been extended to accommodate a domestic-only period, which should be a good idea. I just don't think we are going to see a lot of activity.
"A lot of clubs are going to have to be so careful with their finances. Outside the Premier League, there may be lots of players available on free transfers but surely there won't be much activity.
"I've spoken about the changes needed at Tottenham and while Chelsea have spent a bit of dough already, I can see Liverpool and City making only minor changes.
"Having five substitutes looks a bit excessive. I would prefer it if we stuck to three, but at least the drinks breaks are being done away with. It was getting like an NFL game with four quarters.
"But if you've used five substitutes, then that means two more appearance fees and win bonuses to find and that cannot be ignored for clubs for whom every penny will count."
