Matt Ritchie is on the lookout for a new club ahead of his Newcastle United release.
His Toon contract is due to expire on June 30th, and the club recently announced that he will not be given an extension.
That is despite Eddie Howe initially wanting to retain Matt Ritchie, as well as Paul Dummett. However, that stance changed when Newcastle United failed to qualify for Europe and could suddenly no longer justify keeping the two veterans.
Tributes were paid to Ritchie and Dummett ahead of their exits, with both players now on the lookout for a new employer.
Matt Ritchie attracting Championship interest
It was recently reported that Ritchie is unlikely to return to Portsmouth, despite previously expressing his desire to move back to Fratton Park towards the end of his career.
But while a move to Pompey is not on the cards, the 34-year-old could still find himself playing in the Championship.
That is because TEAMtalk report that Ritchie is attracting interest from multiple clubs who are weighing up whether or not to offer the midfielder a contract.
TEAMtalk add that one of those clubs is Watford, with Hornets manager Tom Cleverley believing that Ritchie, who has issued an open letter to Toon fans, can be a key addition at Vicarage Road due to his experience and versatility.
Good to hear that Matt Ritchie has some suitors
It is great to hear that Ritchie is attracting a lot of interest from the Championship.
It is a difficult point in his career to be released, given his age. A lot of clubs, like Portsmouth, will not make a move for a player that old, with their transfer strategy meaning they bring in younger players who they can eventually sell for a profit.
That will not happen if you bring in Matt Ritchie, but what you will get is the ultimate professional who will drive standards up and become a key figure in the dressing room. That is what he was for Newcastle United, despite barely featuring in the last few years.
What is happening with the other players Newcastle United released
As for the other players who are set to leave Newcastle United on free transfers, none of them have secured a move elsewhere as of yet.
The likes of Dummett, Loris Karius, Jeff Hendrick and Kell Watts were also released, but are yet to find a new club.
The former has recently been away with Mark Gillespie on the goalkeeper’s stag do, where they partied alongside the likes of Koke and Pepe Reina. They also bumped into Sandro Tonali, whose ban for betting ends in August.
As for Karius, he is expected to find a new club in Italy.
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