OPINION
Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley was no doubt thrilled with the performance of Matt Ritchie against Arsenal as the 29-year-old was head and shoulders above his teammates.
The Magpies suffered a disappointing 2-0 lost to the Gunners with not many members of Rafa Benitez’s side standing out the right reasons.
Arsenal dominated possession and it difficult for a lot of the Magpies’ squad to showcase their talent and caused the Gunners to sweat.
However Ritchie, who was playing as a left-back, was arguably the only player wearing the black and white stripes that could have truly held his head up high.
The 29-year-old’s passing may have been a little sloppy at times, but he made up for it by constantly trying to get on the ball, pressing the Gunners whenever they were in possession and by making a superb goal-line clearance that was worthy of a highlight reel.
While Benitez opted to withdraw Ritchie from the game early, he still likely would have been impressed, but surely club owner Ashley also had a reason to smile over the midfielder’s display.
The Daily Mirror reported on Sunday that the 29-year-old was open to exiting the Magpies in the summer as he wanted one last lucrative contract by switching clubs.
If Ritchie intend on wanting to leave to get a better deal then Ashley won’t stand in his way, particularly if he can sell him for a notable fee.
The Mirror’s report claims the Magpies would be open to offers of £10million but that price tag looked like a bargain fee for a club to pay based on the player’s display against the Gunners.
Ritchie’s ability to shine while his teammates struggled, especially against a top-six side, would surely have been a great advertisement and saw any club watching take note.
The midfielder may be 29-years-old but a club would surely be willing to pay above £10million to get his services if he continues playing like he did against Arsenal.
With this in mind Ashley must have been practically seeing £ signs in his eyes as he he surely knows the club can make more than previously expected by selling Ritchie if he’s to leave.
