Newcastle United sign up two players in early transfer window move – and offer two more deals

Newcastle United have triggered an option in Matt Ritchie's deal to retain him – and made contract offers to two more players.

The club, which qualified for Champions League football with a fourth-placed finish last season, today published its retained list for the 2023/24 campaign.

And 33-year-old winger Ritchie, signed in 2016, is staying at the club for another season.

A United statement read: "The club have triggered an option to retain Matt Ritchie's services for another season."

Eddie Howe had revealed his keenness to keep Ritchie at St James' Park late last season.

United's head coach said: “I would love him to continue his journey with Newcastle next year, but (there) will be conversations to take place before that happens.”

Contract offers

Newcastle also revealed that out-of-contract pair Loris Karius and Paul Dummett had been offered new deals.

Goalkeeper Karius, 29, joined the club last September, and played in the Carabao Cup final, while 31-year-old defender Dummett came up through the ranks at United, and made his first-team debut more than a decade ago.

Speaking last month, Howe said: "I see Paul as part of our future.

"When you build a squad, you're never going to be able to play everybody within that squad for the amount of time that maybe they want to, so you need players that are prepared to fight for their place, train really well and have a really good effect on the group.

"Matt Ritchie, Paul Dummett, they're players that, although they haven't necessarily performed for the outside world, they've performed for us internally. They've both been excellent."

The club has also taken out an option to extend 31-year-old goalkeeper Mark Gillespie's expiring contract by another year, while 31-year-old defender Dan Burn, a fixture in Howe's team last season, has activated another year on his deal "based on appearances".

Outgoing players

Meanwhile, 23-year-old midfielder Matt Longstaff and 33-year-old defender Ciaran Clark, both out of contract at the end of the campaign, will leave the club this summer.

Longstaff suffered a serious knee injury while on loan at Colchester United last season, while Clark spent the campaign at Sheffield United.

Striker Chris Wood's move to Nottingham Forest will become permanent on July 1. The 31-year-old was loaned to the club in January.