Newcastle United academy product Paul Dummett is set to commit his long-term future to the club by signing a new deal, according to the Shields Gazette.
Dummett only put-pen-to-paper on a long-term deal in November 2013 (which expires in 2018), but Newcastle’s hierarchy have decided to reward the 22-year-old for his performances last season by increasing his wages – as he is currently among the club’s lowest earners.
As part of the new deal, Dummett will also receive the number 3 jersey – previously occupied by Italian left-back Davide Santon. The number three jersey is synonymous with left-back’s over the years, suggesting that Dummett’s career at the heart of the defence was short-lived – despite some impressive displays partnering Fabricio Coloccini.
The Welsh international endured an injury-disrupted time last season, but the coaching staff at the club still believe he can develop into a decent Premier League defender.
Dummett recently admitted he believed Newcastle could finish in the top half of the Premier League table next season.
“That [top ten] was our aim last season,” he said. “But from January and February we had 35 points we just drifted away and never regained that form we’d shown in the first half when we played.
“We’re not a bad team. We beat teams like Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool and bad teams don’t do that. We also won six games in a row. We need to find that form again.”
He went on to confess the club needs to invest if they are to achieve their targets: “Hopefully that does happen and it can give us a boost going into pre-season. New players can help us push up the Premier League so we aren’t in the same position we were in at the end of the season next year.”
