Newcastle will be saying goodbye to five players when their contracts expire next month. Among them are Paul Dummett, Loris Karius, and Matt Ritchie. Dummett, who is the club’s longest-serving player at 32 years old, has spent 23 years with Newcastle, joining the academy at nine years old and making 213 senior appearances. Karius, a former Liverpool goalkeeper who joined in 2023, will also be leaving after making two first-team appearances, including the 2023 Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester United. Additionally, Scotland midfielder Matt Ritchie, who joined from Bournemouth in 2016 and played a key role in Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship in 2017, will be departing after scoring 25 goals in 215 appearances.
Along with Dummett, Karius, and Ritchie are defender Kell Watts and Republic of Ireland midfielder Jeff Hendrick. Watts is a product of Newcastle’s academy and has made seven senior appearances for the club since his debut in 2019. Hendrick signed for Newcastle from Burnley in January 2018 and has made over 50 appearances for the club to date.
Eddie Howe praised the contributions of Dummett and Ritchie to the team while highlighting their significant impact on the team’s progress over the years. Despite their departures, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is confident that they have built a strong foundation that can continue moving forward in the future.
