Newcastle would be desperate for a left-back if Ritchie does leave during the summer

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Newcastle United midfielder Matt Ritchie faces the exit door at St James’ Park this summer, according to the Daily Mirror.

Rafa Benitez is reportedly planning a summer clearout in the north east as he looks to reshape his squad with a view to pushing toward and Ritchie leave as he eyes one final big contract.

Ritchie joined Newcastle for a fee reported to be £12m in 2016, but they will now reportedly listen to offers around £10m for a player with just two years left on his current deal.

The former Bournemouth man dropped down a league to join Newcastle, so he is no stranger to slightly surprising moves.

Ritchie has deputised at left-back for much of the season, and plugged the gap expertly for someone who is a creative winger by trade, often operating from the right.

But if he did leave, Benitez’s left-back scarcity would turn into a crisis, genuinely making investment into a new recruit in the summer a necessity.

£10m is a fair amount of money with which to get one, but he must ensure he is better than Antonio Barecca, who has not made much of an impact since his loan arrival in January.