Bournemouth may be about to learn how hard it is to keep your best players out of the clutches of the elite.
Because, if persistent recent reports are anything to go by Manchester United, among others, are interested in their on-song winger Matt Ritchie.
The 26 year old Scotland international (7 caps and 2 goals) has been on fire this season and scored some screamers for club and country, as well as demonstrating a highly consistent and penetrative final ball.
But the Bournemouth manager is in no mood to do business for the player in January.
Eddie Howe is quoted on Sky Sports as saying:
“Matty’s (Ritchie) a good player so it’s not a surprise to me he’s linked to the top clubs,”
“Whenever any of our players gets linked, it’s not welcome by us. We’re not a selling club and we certainly want to keep the squad together if we can in January and not the other way.”
Ritchie, who has also scored a couple of gaols in The Premier Legaue in what is becoming a huge season for him, may well be tempted by the prospect of joining a club like Manchester United and the boss says that he is good enough to cause any team problems:
“Matt Ritchie on form and playing well is a threat to anybody.
And while Howe will put up a fight for whoever comes in for the player, he has admitted that it’s not completely out of the question that the player could leave:
“We’d have to see that (a United bid) on its individual merit, but certainly we’re not looking to sell him,” Howe said.
The 26 year old may well get a game for Manchester United. But we just can’t see him as a long term star of the club and a move to United may end up harming his career – we have seen it happen so many times when star players of smaller clubs end up warming the bench at elite sides.
For now we think that, whatever the verity of the rumours, the player would be well advised to stay at his current club and continue to thrive as the main man.
Let’s see some of his best moments for the club.
Manchester United fans: good enough?
