Four Newcastle United players set to leave club after making Australia trip - plus potential Man Utd twist

Matt Ritchie and Paul Dummett made the 20,000-mile round trip to Australia with Newcastle United despite not being part of either matchday squad in Melbourne.

The pair, who are out of contract next month, watched from the sidelines as Newcastle beat Tottenham Hotspur on penalties on Wednesday before a young side were beaten 8-0 by the A-League All-Stars on Friday. Dummett and Ritchie have not started a single Premier League match over the past two-and-a-half seasons but were officially ‘rested’ for the two games in Australia due to their contract situations.

Both players could be looking for new clubs when their deals expire this summer. But Howe has suggested that Newcastle’s potential involvement in the Conference League next season could impact their futures. The Magpies need Manchester City to beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Saturday in order to qualify for Europe.

“European qualification may potentially have a bearing on what happens with their future but what I will say is Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie have been incredible servants to the football club,” he said ahead of the trip to Australia.

Lucas De Bolle and Amadou Diallo also made the trip to Australia despite their contracts expiring next month. Unlike Ritchie and Dummett, the young duo were involved in both matches.

21-year-old De Bolle hasn’t featured for Newcastle’s first-team in a competitive game while Diallo has made one Premier League appearance from the bench during the 2023-24 campaign. But neither player will be offered a new deal by Newcastle this summer as they look to secure contracts elsewhere.