Matt Ritchie, Joshua King to be involved in swap deal?

Matt Ritchie may return to former club Bournemouth as part of a player-plus-cash deal that will see Joshua King move in the opposite direction, according to a report.

The 28-year-old has spent the past two years at St James' Park, helping the Magpies earn promotion to the Premier League before securing top-flight safety last time out.

Ritchie is now being lined up for a return to the south coast, with The Sun reporting that he will be used as a makeweight in King's switch to Newcastle.

United are keen to bring in the £20m-rated striker, but funding a straight-cash deal is proving difficult and they are willing to let Ritchie depart for a smaller fee.

Meanwhile, the same report indicates that Aleksandar Mitrovic may still be offloaded by Newcastle, despite his successful spell on loan at Fulham in the second half of last season.