Sources: Newcastle United ready to accept Matt Ritchie offer after green light
Newcastle United will listen to offers for Matt Ritchie in January, sources have told Football Insider.
The versatile left-footer, 33, came close to leaving in the summer but ended up extending his stay into a seventh season.
Newcastle will let him go for a cut-price fee in January if a deal can be agreed, and Eddie Howe has given the green light.
The former Bournemouth star has been on the fringes this season and has made just two appearances in total.
Howe is nonetheless a big admirer of Ritchie, who he managed at Bournemouth, and has called him an "incredible" player.
Ritchie's sole start this season came away at Tranmere in the second round of the League Cup.
He played the full 90 minutes as Newcastle eventually won 2-1.
His only other outing came against Wolves in the Premier League on 28 October in what proved to be a one-minute cameo.
Ritchie was one of the club's key players following his arrival in the summer of 2016.
After scoring 12 goals to help Newcastle return to the Premier League he made over 30 league appearances in the next two Premier League campaigns.
His appearances have diminished since the 2019/20 season though he still made 18 Premier League appearances last term with 14 of those being starts.
Ritchie rapidly fell down the pecking order following the arrival of Howe, as he reinstalled Ryan Fraser to the starting XI.
Though, he was given the captain's armband for Newcastle's FA Cup game against Cambridge in January.