The Sun is reporting today that Newcastle United want to make a £10m bid to sign 26 year-old Bournemouth right winger Matt Ritchie.
That could be tough, because the news is that West Ham are also interested in signing the 10 times capped Scottish International who played 41 times for Bournemouth last season in the Premier League with 4 goals.
Matt Ritchie – Rafa Benitez interested
It’s unusual for Newcastle to be interested in a winger this summer, but Matt did have a very good season last term for Bournemouth.
The Sun is reporting Newcastle are interested in the Gosport-born winger only as a signing before the club allows Andros Townsend to leave Newcastle this summer.
They quote Crystal Palace and Alan Pardew as the likely destination of the 24 year-old England International winger.
🙁
We don’t expect that to happen, but it seems Matt could be a decent signing for us regardless, although £10M seems a lot.
The Cherries rather easily survived in their very first season in the Premier League last term and whipped us 3-1 at St. James’ Park last March.
🙁
But that was mercifully the last game in charge for the woeful Steve McClaren as the head coach – and the last home defeat for us last season.
Rafa Benitez came in and won three and drew two of the remaining five home games of the season, but that still wasn’t enough to prevent a second relegation to the Championship in seven years.
Matt moved from Swindon Town to Bournemouth in the summer of 2012 and since then he has played 138 times for the south coast club with 31 goals.
He has played in League One, the Championship and the Premier League in those four seasons with Bournemouth, as the club quickly moved up the leagues in England with The Cherries.
A real success story for AFC Bournemouth.
Matt started his career at Portsmouth and moved to Swindon and then Bournemouth with loan spells along the way at Dagenham & Redbridge and also at Notts County.
He is still only 26 years old, yet he has already made 337 first team appearances with 77 goals.
He qualifies to play for Scotland because his father is Scottish and Matt made his debut against Northern Ireland in a friendly in March of last year at Hampden Park.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
58 comments so far
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:35 AM
Comment #1I really don’t want to cause offence but, of all the British Isles teams Scotland didn’t get to the euros. So saying “Scottish International” is like saying “Andorran International” or “Faroese International” isn’t it? ( or Dutch…lol) Just say he’s a decent player for Bournemouth and we’ll know what we are supposedly shopping for, eh?
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:37 AM
Comment #2Ahhh I think Ian’s love letter to BandB was really sweet, I’m sure she’ll go all gooey and respond kindly to his well-intentioned support.
😐
martoon
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:39 AM
Comment #3If Townsend’s buy out clause is for £10.5m then surely this guy is not worth £10m?
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:39 AM
Comment #4Sneering at small nations Tsunki ?
Remind me who England play tomorrow could you ?
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:41 AM
Comment #5Agent spots potential gap in a teams’ squad, picks player from roster who might fit, starts story on his network that said team are considering said player, drops in marker bid price and heats on a low oven for 48 hours.
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:46 AM
Comment #6Keep your pants up jibster, I didn’t glorify England did I? In fact the opposite – the home country fare has been a bland staple so far. I’m saying that Scotland can’t even live up to our meagre offerings, which is an evident truth. Besides, I thought you’d be watching a video of Adele from yesterday?
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:47 AM
Comment #7Btw I don’t fancy our chances against Iceland either 🙁
Be like the Cod War all over again.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:48 AM
Comment #8Tsunki,
Being a Scotish international is as prestigious as having a Harrods carrier bag even if you haven’t been to London!
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:52 AM
Comment #9Jail 😀
Tsunki
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:54 AM
Comment #10Got to wait for Jib to look up Cod War. He’ll be deflected by visions of armies of fish squaring up for battle. Tum- tee tum…tum-tee tumm…
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 9:55 AM
Comment #11Not like Jiberish to have a snipe at a usual suspect before elderly number one fan erupts in a diabolical rage over said usual suspects causing rows. Luckily Ian Toon can avoid said row by having a Freudian dig at BandB while alter ego (c)arl licks ass while pretending to be interested in football craic.
Mister Tuff
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:01 AM
Comment #12I imagine a scene somewhere in the North East -from within a semi- detached house a female voice can be heard singing from the confines of her bathroom – scented candles and a glass of red wine to hand.
“Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane
Ain’t got time to take a fast train
Lonely days are gone, I’m a-goin’ home
My baby, just-a wrote me a letter”.
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:03 AM
Comment #13Tsunki
Greece Denmark Norway Finland Serbia Bulgaria Belarus Holland
They all failed to make it.
By your logic there are no decent players from any of those countries !
nut meg
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:04 AM
Comment #14Transfermarket have Ritchie @ 6m euro & Gayle @ 3m euro.According to reports both are valued @ 10m pounds!!
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:08 AM
Comment #15Jiberish,
Despite Scotland’s half decent past they are footballing minnows, they have not produced a player in the mould of Dalglish and Sourness for a longreat time, they are about the same as Jamaica or Cape Verde.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:09 AM
Comment #16*Souness long long time
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:10 AM
Comment #17Jail
The first snipe was by the tosser known as Tsunki at our noble leader Dr Ed Harrison .
I am merely returning fire on behalf of the blog !
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:11 AM
Comment #18Jib,
Where was the snipe at Ed?
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:14 AM
Comment #19Jib,
Scotland are shite, a once good brand now unwanted and available on the cheap. Sounds like a perfect country for our noble owner to snap up. Three kilts for a pound.
expatmag
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:19 AM
Comment #20TSUNKI
I think JIB is finding Dory mate
Mister Tuff
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Comment #21I think it might be appropriate to allow Jib to gather his thoughts this morning – he will feel vulnerable and jilted by the Ian Toon love letter.
He has been forsaken by his blog boss – who pursues the heart and affections of another.
Time heals – or so they say.
expatmag
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:22 AM
Comment #22JFA
I have never been to Harrods in London but I got a bag from Harrods at ge Falls of Shin shop next to Al Fayeds country Scottish estate in 2003.
Does that count?
pyunky
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:22 AM
Comment #23Has anyone seen this guy play? He is terrific player, will score goals too. He will compliment Townsend and he can’t track back too. Suspect we would have to pay more than £10M, as Premiership teams like West Ham have been looking.
Rotonda heights
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Comment #24pyunky
he can or he can’t?
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Comment #25punky,
Gudmund Gudmundsson has higher FIFA rankings but not sure how that affects the price.
Rotonda heights
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:31 AM
Comment #26nice to see jib speaks for all of us
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:32 AM
Comment #27Jail
Post #1 so it was aimed at Ed
Tsunki // I really don’t want to cause offence but……….just say he’s a decent player for Bournemouth and we’ll know what we are supposedly shopping for, eh?
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:36 AM
Comment #28Jib,
Hardly a snipe at all, an observation and valid point. Not like having a go at someone’s lack of ‘footy’ knowledge while providing numerous examples of their own lack of.
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:40 AM
Comment #29Tsunki can be very amusing on occasion but the clever dick/show off in him can make him go a bit too far at times.
The good thing about a blog it’s not just the people we see who read it but hundreds who never bother registering but can see the shit that is said and approve when a valid point is made and challenges made
I can feel them all nodding their heads now.
Although what they must make of the childish guff that Mr Tuff posts is a worry.
martoon
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:48 AM
Comment #30Tuff @12 – The Box Tops if I remember correctly?
Novocastrian66
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #31Personally, I think Ritchie is garbage.
expatmag
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #32Martoon
Yep….The Letter
pyunky
Jun 26, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #33Rotunda, sorry, he can track back.
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Comment #34martoon
I must say , like you I was shocked by Adele’s foul mouth – it must be a generational thing !
Ron Knee
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:01 AM
Comment #35I hope today’s Euro ‘action’ is better than yesterday’s!
Mister Tuff
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:06 AM
Comment #36Yes it was “The Letter” by the Box Tops.
martoon
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:06 AM
Comment #37Jib @34 – Yeah she was fantastic with the audience and she knew there were kids there because she got one on stage and there was no need for it. Maybe it is a generation thing – I’m not a prude and at a lads or girls night out fair enough but really there was no need for it at a concert like that!
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:12 AM
Comment #38Ron
I’m sure the French would like a nice orderly progress into the nxt round.
They won’t get it from Ireland
It’s payback time
Remember this
Ron Knee
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:15 AM
Comment #39Sacrebleu! La main de dieu!
Jib
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:15 AM
Comment #40martoon
The missus who has seen her live a couple of times , said it was out of character , and maybe someone at Glasto offered her “something” to calm her nerves.