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
welshgeordie9
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:17 AM
Comment #41Ashley
June 26, 2016
Jiberish,
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.
So then jail are you saying players like strachan, mcallister and ally Mccoist for example are not just as good, they’ve all won medals.
martoon
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:19 AM
Comment #42Jib – maybe, although the BBC seemed to know because they gave a warning before it started!
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:35 AM
Comment #43welshie me old mucka,
If the best you can come up with since the days of Souness, Dalglish and Hanson is those three then it kind of proves my point. Since when did winning the Scottish cup count as a major honour?
bettyswallocks
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:55 AM
Comment #44Welsh…… Scotland are worse than Wales and Wales are Shyte judging on yesterday’s jammy victory.
Rotonda heights
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:56 AM
Comment #45it would be funny if thierry henry is commentating on the france ireland game
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:58 AM
Comment #46swallocks,
You’d have as much joy trying to explain quantam physics to him or poo!
Rotonda heights
Jun 26, 2016 at 11:59 AM
Comment #47”Tsunki can be very amusing on occasion but the clever dick/show off in him can make him go a bit too far at times.”
– – – – – – – –
Old jib takes pot – kettle – black to a whole new level!
bettyswallocks
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:01 PM
Comment #48Rotonda…… Why would that be funny? He’s French.
Toontaff
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:03 PM
Comment #49Bettyswallox you sir chat aload of shite
bettyswallocks
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:07 PM
Comment #50Toontaff……… You’re obviously a sheep loving Welsh supporter like your compatriot. If ignorance is bliss you and your pal must be in a permanent state of euphoria.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:13 PM
Comment #51Toon taff,
swallocks should have said Wales are awesome then he would truly be talking shite.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:14 PM
Comment #52I might put a tenner on Ireland to beat France.
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:21 PM
Comment #53£50 8/1 COYBIG.
bettyswallocks
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:25 PM
Comment #54Id love it if they beat the French. Love it.
The Welsh should be allowed to speak their minds, they have nothing to lose!
Jail for Ashley
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:28 PM
Comment #55swallocks,
The Welsh are the original inhabitants of England until we got here.
bettyswallocks
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:40 PM
Comment #56Jail….. That may be so but I pledge no allegiance to a race of sheep lovers.
JamesToon
Jun 26, 2016 at 12:46 PM
Comment #57If it’s true that we’ve been offered Ritchie, then we simply have to go sign him up, we should be prepared to pay anywhere between 6 and 10mil, may seem a lot but he’s what we need, dangerous winger who works his socks off every game, would be a huge upgrade on Thauvin.
Go and get Gayle as well as we need a proven goalscorer and fast striker like him to complement Mitro, Oxford on loan to replace Tiote, then Lewis Dunk and Charlie Taylor and we’re sorted
Rotonda heights
Jun 26, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #58betty
because of his infamous handball against the irish.