Newcastle United may wave goodbye to two veterans stars at the end of the season as Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie's contracts enter their stretch. Wholesale changes since the Saudi-backed takeover have drastically improved the playing squad over the last 12 months.
For context, just two players started the 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last season - the first game under new ownership - and the 1-0 win over Chelsea last month. More new arrivals are inevitable as Toon chiefs aim to make European contention a long-lasting romance rather than a brief flirtation.
The January transfer window is around the corner and several outcasts could find themselves further down the pecking order. Ritchie and Dummett are two long-serving veterans whose Newcastle futures remain unclear.
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Reports linked Ritchie - who has not featured in a matchday squad since September - with a move to former club Bournemouth in the summer. A trusted Eddie Howe ally, the former Scotland international finds himself surplus to requirements despite previously sweating blood in a black-and-white shirt.
Father Time is undefeated - which is also the case for academy graduate Paul Dummett. A few eyebrows were raised when the Kenton native was given a one-year extension in May.
Injuries have plagued Dummett’s career in recent years as he has only made 19 appearances since August 2020. The last injury-free campaign he enjoyed was the 2016-17 Championship-winning season and, with Matt Targett and Jamal Lewis on the books, another contract was unexpected.
But Dummett has been at Newcastle since he was nine years old. Keeping players around who are embedded into the club’s fabric was clearly valued by Howe. Six months on and it remains to be seen whether the same will happen again.
The duo will deservedly receive gratitude when their days on Tyneside come to an end. Getting the Magpies out of the Championship and keeping the club afloat under Mike Ashley was no mean feat - but the shot-callers at St James’ Park have two big decisions to make regarding their futures in the coming months.
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