CHN 2019-2020 End of the Season Awards: Signing of the Season

Continuing our end of the season coverage, our staff is bringing you all another end of the season award with all the greatest takes on this planet. Today’s focus is on Newcastle’s signing of the season, and like biggest disappointment, there is not a lot of variety.

Zack Pensak - Allan Saint-Maximin

Similar to my selection for Biggest Disappointment, this one was an easy choice. First, I discounted Rose, Lazaro, Willems, and Bentaleb, since they were on loan and not permanently signed to the club. From there the choice was between ASM and Andy Carroll, whose free transfer from West Ham paid off in the form of five assists, yet no goals. Ultimately the Frenchman took home the award, largely for his impressive play since the restart. A defender’s nightmare, the electric feet of Saint-Maximin were best on display during Newcastle’s 4-1 win against Bournemouth on July 1st, in which the winger contributed three assists in an unanimous Man of the Match performance. The one big question for Allan is if he can stay fit next season, as thigh and hamstring injuries kept him out of eleven matches this past campaign. If so, the sky seems to be the limit for the uber-confident youngster.

Bryan Nelson - Allan Saint-Maximin

This is going to be nearly universal across the board unless someone has a hot take. Allan Saint-Maximin wasn’t just the best signing, he was the best player. When you sign a player for a large fee, you expect almost immediate impact, and that’s what ASM provided. I also think adding to the culture is important, and he’s certainly shown his love for the fans, the city, and has created a persona that fans will remember for years to come. ASM is everything you want in a signing, and I can’t wait to see him perform next season.

Elijah - Allan Saint-Maximin (Honorable Mention: Jetro Willems)

The social media savvy star is definitely the signing of the season for Newcastle and arguably was one of the better signings of last summer in all of the Prem. Not only is he exciting to watch, but is also just so so so great on social media. He’s hilarious, interacts with the fans a ton, and is just incredibly humble that he is able to represent the club. At the end of the day, that’s always going to put you in the good graces of Newcastle fans.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

I do want to give another player who is both exciting and great on Twitter a shoutout. Jetro Willems is a player that has been linked to Newcastle for as long as I can remember. When Newcastle finally signed him on loan last season, everyone was excited, not because we signed Jetro, but because we desperately needed a full back. Jetro easily became a fan favorite relatively quickly following an abysmal start (that was totally Steve Bruce’s fault) to his time at Newcastle. He scored bangers, was an exciting dribbler, and played with the passion every Newcastle fan expects from the players. It’s a shame that his time at Newcastle was cut short. Here’s to hoping that this is not the last we’ve seen of Jetro, the fans want him, he has continued to interact wit Newcastle fans, and hopefully we can see him at St. James once again.

Graeme Bell- Allan Saint-Maximin

There is only one choice, Allan Saint-Maximin. He’s been outstanding - pace, trickery, physically strong and now adding end product to his game, he’s got it all. Without ASM Newcastle have very little threat going forward, he’s carried the team at times. He’s vital to the side, we cannot afford to lose him. The scary thing is, he’s still young and is improving all the time!