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Could be a great steal for Burnley: Sean Dyche should do everything to sign £9m Newcastle ace

Burnley are considering making a move for Newcastle Untied winger Matt Ritchie in the January transfer window, reports the Daily Mail. 

The Clarets have had a great start to the new campaign and find themselves sitting in the seventh position in the Premier League table after 22 games. However, given the small squad that manager Sean Dyche has at his disposal, it is not hard to see it getting stretched over the course of the full season, which is why he will be looking to add new faces in the winter.  

The wide areas are something that he will be particularly keen on strengthening in the coming weeks, following Robbie Brady’s season-ending injury. The Republic of Ireland international picked up a knee injury in Burnley’s 1-0 loss to Leicester City in early December and has since been ruled out for the season. This has left the Clarets with just Johann Berg-Gudmundsson and Scott Arfield as the only established wingers in the squad.  

And this is where the interest in Matt Ritchie comes into the picture. The 28-year old joined Newcastle United from Bournemouth in the summer of 2016 for a fee reported to be £12 million. The 28-year old played a crucial role in helping the Magpies earn promotion back to the Premier League. Ritchie finished the 2016/17 campaign with 16 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. 

The Scot started off the new season in the Premier League on a strong note as well, but has faded off a little in recent weeks. In 22 games in all competitions so far, he has failed to score a single goal and has six assists – four of which came by mid-September.

Ritchie has gone seven league games without an assist now. Although, some blame for that lies at the feet of the misfiring Newcastle strikers as well, considering that he has created a total of 36 chances in the league this term. 

While his numbers may not have been all that prolific this term, Ritchie is someone who has some degree of Premier League experience, having played 60 games in the English top-flight during his time with Newcastle and Bournemouth combined, in which he has four goals and 12 assists.  

Able to play on both the flanks, he will provide Dyche with an added option, while his ability to pick out crosses and create chances will also be a huge asset, given the type and the quality of strikers Burnley possess in Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes.  

The 28-year old is regarded as a key player at the St. James’ Park and given that he has a contract that runs till the summer of 2021, it would be hard to see Newcastle willing to sell him. But, despite his recent form, he could be a great addition to the Burnley squad and they should definitely try and sign him in the winter.

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