"An unnecessary signing" - Watford urged to avoid Newcastle United transfer | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie has emerged as a transfer target for Watford this summer.

According to Teamtalk, the Hornets are considering an approach for the winger ahead of the conclusion of his contract.

The winger is set to depart the Premier League side at the end of the month, bringing to an end his eight-year stint at St. James’ Park.

However, Watford will face competition from a number of clubs in the race to sign the 34-year-old, with a number of second division sides also eyeing the forward.

Tom Cleverley will be hoping to make improvements to his first team squad at Vicarage Road after being appointed as the permanent manager in April.

Matt Ritchie transfer verdict

FLW’s Watford fan pundit is not interested in links between the club and a pursuit of Ritchie this summer.

He believes that the Hornets should avoid adding any more players in their mid-30s to the first team squad for the time being.

“I’ve seen rumours going around that [Ritchie’s] been linked with Watford, but I’m also seeing him being linked with a few other clubs,” Beattie told Football League World.

“I think we need to maybe not have so many players in their mid-30s coming to Watford.

“Although he could bring a lot of experience, he’s not had a lot of game time in recent years.

“It does seem like a bit of a strange connection to Watford.

“Although sometimes we do take players at that age and they do manage to give us one decent season, Jake Livermore is a prime example of that.

“But personally, I don’t think we need a player age 34 with a lack of game time coming to Vicarage Road, it just seems like an unnecessary signing when there must be better options out there.”

Matt Ritchie’s game time at Newcastle

Ritchie made 13 appearances in the Premier League last season, all of which came as a substitute (all stats from Fbref).

The Scotland international featured just seven times in the top flight the campaign previously, having fallen down the pecking order of Eddie Howe’s side.

This has led to his departure as a free agent, with Newcastle opting not to renew his deal.

This means he is free to discuss terms with a new club over a move this summer, with a number of sides eyeing his arrival.

Ritchie concerns are obvious for Watford

Ritchie would bring a lot of experience to Watford, and he has recently been competing in the Premier League, albeit inconsistently.

However, at the age of 34, there are only so many more years he can give at this level.

While he may prove a smart addition for the 2024/25 campaign, he could easily tail off and become surplus to requirements within 12 or 18 months.

Given he’s a free agent, the cost of this deal will come down to the size of his wages and the length of the contract, which could determine whether this is a deal worth pursuing or not this summer.