Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez is willing to extend his stay at Tyneside at the end of the campaign even if the club’s owner Mike Ashley decides to opt against selling the club. According to recent reports, the Magpies manager is ready to pen a new deal this summer which will come as a big boost for the Toon Army going into the future. The Tyneside outfit are yet to open talks with Benitez over a new and improved, long-term contract with speculation linking him with a move away from St. James Park.
The Spaniard was reportedly unhappy during the winter transfer window as he had to operate on a restricted budget which eventually saw three loan signings in the form of Islam Slimani, Kenedy and Martin Dubravka arrive in January. The Toon manager is now looking to prepare a long-term plan at Tyneside and is keen on gaining more control over the club’s Academy and Under-23 set-up.
Benitez is only willing to discuss his future at the end of the season when he will just have 12 months left to run on his current contract with Newcastle. However, the former Liverpool boss is set to demand written assurances on a number of issues which include player recruitment, after being left frustrated by the club’s efforts in the previous three transfer windows. In a recent interview, Benitez addressed his future and was quoted to have said, “Let me finish, let me do well, let us stay in the Premier League and then we can talk about the future,”
The Tyneside club are currently sitting in the 13th position in the Premier League standings with a tally of 32 points in 30 league matches. Rafael Benitez’s team find themselves just four points above the drop zone and are in serious danger of being demoted to the Skybet Championship at the end of the campaign. They are in dire need to bring in some reinforcements during the summer transfer window which will help them in their quest to push on and improve their league performance next season.
Retaining a top manager like Benitez could turn out to be integral in the club’s quest to become a Premier League regular and push for European places in the coming years. The Spanish boss has taken charge of 96 matches for the Magpies, winning 45, drawing 20 and losing 31 of those matches with a Points Per Game (PPG) average of 1.61 (According to transfermarkt.com). He has previously won the Champions League once and the La Liga twice among many other top honours during the course of his managerial career.
A manager with Benitez’s track-record won’t like to be kept waiting and could end up leaving the club if the Newcastle chiefs are not quick in signing him up for a long-term deal. Only time will tell whether he ends up extending his stay at Newcastle in the near future.
