Report: Newcastle United agree deals with £24million duo

Newcastle United have agreed on terms for new contracts with midfielders Jonjo Shelvey and Matt Ritchie, according to the Chronicle.

The pair are believed to have reached an agreement with Toon staff over extending their stays at St. James’ Park, with official confirmation the only hurdle still to cross.

Shelvey has been a part of the Magpies first-team since January 2016 after joining from Swansea City in a £12million transfer, but has entered the final 18-months of the £70,000-per-week deal penned four years ago.

Ritchie is likewise in the final 18-months of his £45,000-per-week contract, signed upon his arrival from AFC Bournemouth in the summer of 2016 for around £12m.

Club staff were said to have held positive talks with both midfielders in January as negotiations on potential extensions continued, with Shelvey happy in the North East and Ritchie looking for security over his long-term future at 30-years-old.

Both would appear to have been granted their wishes, and will likely now continue serving as key figures in the first-team for the next few years.

Shelvey has been as pivotal to our efforts in the Premier League under head coach Steve Bruce as anyone else, with the former England international responsible for 20 per cent of all top-flight goals scored with five of our 24.

The 27-year-old is the only Magpies player to have found the back of the net more than twice this league term, while also recording the senior fold’s most key balls (27) and third-most accurate long passes (68), per WhoScored data.

Ritchie has not been able to make as much of an impact for Bruce having sustained an ankle injury against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup back in August, which kept the former Scotland international on the sidelines until the turn of the year.

He has since started two of his four Premier League outings and three of four FA Cup appearances, and will likely be someone looked upon favourably by Bruce over the coming months and potentially years.

In other Newcastle United news, the club are scouting a prolific 24-year-old subject to a potential €6m summer move.