According to latest reports, Middlesbrough are considering a £15m move for Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie. The Tyneside outfit are not ready to sell the player for anything less than a hefty profit and also without an able replacement lined up. Rafael Benitez does not want to let go of any of his players, especially one of the starting XIs.
However, the Spanish boss could be pulled into a deal without the presence of any financial backing from Mike Ashley. In order to improve the squad, he will have to leverage every passing option and play his cards in the best way possible.
Ritchie arrived from Bournemouth in the summer of 2016 for £12m. He helped Newcastle United earn back promotion to the Premier League and has been a reliable presence ever since.
The 28-year-old scored thrice and set up 6 assists in 38 appearances last season to keep United out of the relegation spots. With the dominant left foot, he really has found a rewarding spot on the right flank which allows him to be highly impactful on both ends of the pitch.
Ritchie is not the fastest or most prolific but he sure does put in the work. The Scotsman will give you consistency and will also run opposition players to the ground. He has 16 caps and 3 goals to his name for Scotland.
The winger started out in the Portsmouth youth ranks but could not break into the senior team. He spent loan spells with Dagenham & Redbridge and Notts County before moving to Swindon Town on a permanent basis in 2011.
He broke into the scene with Bournemouth, making 142 appearances for the club and helping them earn promotion to the top-flight as well. Ritchie scored 31 goals and set up 29 assists during his time at Dean Court.
Now he has 19 goals and 16 assists for Newcastle and has earned the rising interest from other English outfits. Ritchie could be a wonderful addition to Tony Pulis’ squad to help Boro make a run for the playoff spots next term.
Middlesbrough got knocked out by Aston Villa in their promotion chase last season and are looking to bolster the squad for a refurbished run. With Stewart Downing turning 34 next month, the North Yorkshire club will need able bodies to take over the veteran’s workload.
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However, Pulis will also have to make a convincing bid to pry away Richie from Tyneside.
