Matt Ritchie’s contract at Newcastle United is due to expire later this month, but it now looks like he could be staying at St James’ Park.
The 33-year-old has played less and less in recent years, but is still an important member of Eddie Howe’s squad. The Toon boss has spoke publicly about wanting to keep Ritchie around, despite constant rumours of a move back down south.
With his Toon deal set to expire this summer, it looked like a departure was inevitable. However, that no longer appears to be the case.
Newcastle to give Matt Ritchie a new contract
According to the Telegraph, there is now a ‘strong possibility’ that Ritchie signs a new contract with Newcastle United. They add that Paul Dummett is also likely to stay.
A deal for Dummett makes sense as he came through the club’s academy and can be registered as a homegrown player for the Champions League. However, that is not the case for Ritchie, who joined the Magpies for £12million in 2016 from Bournemouth.
Ritchie was vital on the pitch during his first few years on Tyneside, but now his influence appears to be behind the scenes. Howe has spoke incredibly high of Ritchie’s role, while the winger is often seen working closely with the starting XI during warmups on match days.
The former Portsmouth man made just 10 appearances last season, two of which were as a starter. They were in the cups against Tranmere Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday. He made seven appearances off the bench in the Premier League, with only one of them resulting in him playing more than 10 minutes. That was the 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in February.
It feels likely that Ritchie, who turns 34 in September, will play even less next season, with standards raising at St James’ Park ahead of our return to the Champions League. But Howe obviously feels like Ritchie’s influence behind the scenes is vital, meaning he is worth keeping around.
Team spirit has been key to our success, and Ritchie is part of that.
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