‘Important’ £12m player could leave Newcastle despite contract extension

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When Newcastle United announced their retained list, it looked like Matt Ritchie’s immediate future was definitely at St James’ Park.

The midfielder’s contract was due to expire this summer, but the club triggered an option to extend his current deal until 2024. That will have delighted Eddie Howe, who has been very outspoken about wanting to keep Ritchie on Tyneside.

While he barely plays nowadays, the 33-year-old has a vital role behind the scenes. The players massively value Ritchie‘s contributions, with Anthony Gordon naming him the ‘unsung hero’ of the 2022/23 campaign. Bruno Guimaraes agreed, branding Ritchie as an ‘important‘ player.

But while the coaching staff and the players love Ritchie, it is still not guaranteed that he is staying at St James’ Park.

Matt Ritchie could leave Newcastle

According to the Northern Echo, there is a chance that Ritchie could still leave the club this summer.

That would come as a huge surprise, but perhaps suggests that the decision is going to lie with the player. If Newcastle wanted rid of him, they would not have triggered a one-year extension to his contract.

Even with a year left on his contract, the fee we will get will be nominal, while getting him completely off the payroll would be more of a priority.

But that is clearly not Newcastle’s intentions. They want Ritchie to stay put. Whether that is what he wants remains to be seen, but it might simply depend on what options he has to leave.

For years there have been rumblings about the £12million man moving back down south to be closer to his family, which would likely be his main motivation if he were to seek a move away from St James’ Park this summer.

After making just 10 appearances last season and with Champions League football on the horizon, it is likely that Ritchie will play even less for the Magpies in 2023/24. Regardless, Howe wants him to stay, but nothing is guaranteed right now.