Newcastle splashes cash to grab Ritchie from Bournemouth

Rafa Benitez is stocking up his Newcastle United squad ahead of the 2016-17 Championship season, adding Matt Ritchie for a fee believed to be in the region of £12 million.

The Scot missed just one match of Bournemouth's top-flight initiation last term, but will now ply his trade some 360 miles away on Tyneside. Ritchie agreed a five-year contract with the Magpies.

(Courtesy: @NUFC)

"It's an unbelievable feeling to come to a football club like this. It's what you work hard for as a kid. You watch teams like Newcastle on the TV growing up, and it's fantastic to be here and I'm really looking forward to the challenge," the right-winger said at his unveiling.

"The potential of this football club with the manager, the dressing room, the squad that we have, I'm sure it's going to be an exciting time and a really positive future for the football club."

Despite the appointment of Benitez as manager in March - just two months after he was given the boot by Real Madrid - Newcastle was unable to avoid the Premier League drop. But considering the fellow newcomers at St James' Park, anything less than instant promotion will be deemed a huge failure.

Ritchie is joined by the incoming Dwight Gayle and Matz Sels at Newcastle, while notable exits include Andros Townsend to Crystal Palace and Steven Taylor upon the conclusion of his contract.