Eddie Howe suggests that Newcastle 31-year-old is not leaving summer

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Newcastle United have multiple players who could leave on frees this summer, but it looks like Paul Dummett could be staying.

Dummett signed a one-year extension with Newcastle last year, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2023. He has barely played since then, starting just one game all season. That was the Carabao Cup triumph over Tranmere Rovers.

The left-back has not played a single minute of Premier League football, not given the opportunity to contribute to this incredible campaign – although he was stripped and ready to come on against Southampton, only for the referee to blow the final whistle.

With Howe barely using Dummett this season, it looked likely that he would leave St James’ Park upon the expiry of his contract.

However, there have since been reports that Howe could decide to keep him, with the defender’s representatives pushing for a new deal. Now it looks like he might be staying put after all.

Eddie Howe wants to keep Paul Dummett at Newcastle

Ahead of Sunday’s game against Arsenal, Howe spoke to the media. According to the Shields Gazette, he was asked if there is a chance Dummett will be staying at the club beyond this summer.

“Yeah, very much so. I see Paul as part of our future,” he said.

“When you build a squad, you’re never going to be able to play everybody within that squad for the amount of time that maybe they want to, so you need players that are prepared to fight for their place, train really well and have a really good effect on the group.

“Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett, they’re players that, although they haven’t necessarily performed for the outside world, they’ve performed for us internally. They’ve both been excellent.”

Howe added: “He’s a very, very good player, Paul, and, I think, the beauty of it is that he can play in a couple of positions for us. It’s great to have a player who’s got that experience and ability.”

The Toon boss went on to explain that Dummett has not played because of the consistency of others, adding that he was ‘gutted’ that the 31-year-old did not come on against Southampton.

Keeping Dummett is wise ahead of Europe

Once a regular starter at St James’ Park, Dummett’s role on Tyneside has changed. But while he is not playing much football, Howe clearly appreciates the defenders contributions behind the scenes.

As the manager says, Dummett’s versatility makes him a good player to have in reserve. He is as sound as they come defensively, even if his attacking exploits leave a lot to be desired.

With European football on the horizon, keeping Dummett would be a wise decision. He is a homegrown player who has come through the club’s academy, which is something we will need when we register our squad for either the Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League.

It is highly unlikely that Dummett will ever be a regular starter again at Newcastle, but Howe deserves credit for making players like him feel important. He has done a brilliant job of transitioning the club from relegation fodder to European contenders without stripping the squad completely.

Newcastle’s core will continue into next season, with Dummett looking likely to stay.