Newcastle United fans have taken to Twitter to react with frustration to a report that the club are in advanced talks to sell Matt Richie.
The Telegraph claim the north-east giants have held “detailed discussions” with Championship duo Middlesbrough and Stoke City over the sale of the winger, 28, this summer and have set the asking price at £15million.
This has not gone down well with the Toon faithful, who claim it is a damning indictment that a first-team regular could be sold to a team in a division below.
Nothing But Newcastle has rounded up some of the best tweets:
https://twitter.com/leefitzsimmons1/status/1012288551638233091
Shows where we are as a club when Championship clubs are attepmting to pinch our better players
— Don (@NUFCDon) June 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/JordNufcmorris/status/1012287284945866753
WHY would we sell him…. we couldnt buy someone better for 15mil
— joey (@joeynic) June 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/JDN_4321/status/1012287402168213505
https://twitter.com/AhTack/status/1012294140275462146
https://twitter.com/StuartVatcher/status/1012287732557799424
I don’t think it is. He is a very good championship player but can’t make it in the premier. Like Gayle
— Ryan Patterson (@ryanp88) June 28, 2018
https://twitter.com/shauni46/status/1012288822095335424
OPINION
It’s safe to say that the report by the ever-reliable John Percy of the Telegraph – he of the impeccable transfer contacts – has not gone down well with Newcastle fans. Already exasperated by the club’s failure to do any deals a month after the window opened – the purchase of Martin Dubravka was agreed in January and simply required the loan-to-buy option to be triggered – the revelation they have held extended talks about selling a key first teamer to two Championship clubs, including a less well-heeled neighbour, has kicked off quite a storm. Many claim the 5ft 7in winger (source: Transfermarkt) is the best winger in Rafael Benitez’s team and can’t understand why he would be sold without a better player already secured to replace him. They have a point. Ritchie started 32 league matches last season, scoring three goals and providing six assists. Those are numbers that will be difficult to replace.
