Burnley are plotting an ‘ambitious’ move for Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie according to the Daily Mail. And don't rule out Mike Ashley making a parting shot at Toon fans by actually selling him!
The newspaper claim that Sean Dyche is keen to sign a winger for Burnley after it emerged that Robbie Brady expected to miss the rest of the season through injury.
The Daily Mail report that Rafa Benitez might sell the midfielder, despite him being a key player, if he needs to raise transfer funds due to the club’s takeover not going through.
Ritchie leads the assist charts for the Magpies this season, having registered six assists in his 21 Premier League appearances.
Dyche, who has steered Burnley to seventh in the Premier League table, is reportedly keen on Ritchie due to being admirer of his crossing ability as well as his delivery from set-pieces.
Good move for Newcastle?
Not on your life. This would be a disaster for Newcastle United.
The midfielder is an asset to the team and his ability to create chances is as important as ever with the threat of relegation looming.
Benitez may be keen to raise funds for transfers, but he won’t find someone on the market as good as Ritchie for reasonable price.
Likely to happen?
It’s doubtful that Benitez would be crazy enough to sell Ritchie, but you can never fathom out Ashley's logic.
He doesn't think like a fan ... or a chairman for that matter.
He sees money.
Burnley would clearly just be trying their luck and attempting to take advantage of Newcastle United’s complicated situation.
With the report stating Burnley are also considering other options already, it looks like this one will blow over quickly if the Magpies simply state Ritchie is not for sale.