Newcastle United are yet to open talks with their manager Rafael Benitez over a new contract, which will extend his stay at Tyneside. According to recent reports, the Magpies boss wants to stay at St. James Park but is still waiting to be contacted by the club’s owner Mike Ashley over the possibility of a new long-term deal.
It is being reported that the Tyneside outfit has still not held talks with the former Liverpool manager over a new deal. The Toon boss is 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. However, Benitez had to operate on a restricted budget during the January transfer window which has led to concerns over his future at the club. The Spaniard has not spoken with the club’s owner Mike Ashley for quite some time and the Magpies’ future will now depend on whether the Sports Direct businessman will be able to extend Benitez’s stay at St. James Park.
Benitez’s side are currently struggling in the Premier League and are in real danger of getting relegated at the end of the season. Only time will tell whether the Spanish boss can keep them up this season and be offered an opportunity to build for a bigger and brighter future.
The Tyneside club are currently occupying the 13th position in the Premier League table with a tally of 32 points in 30 league matches. Rafael Benitez’s team still finds themselves just four points above the drop zone and are in serious danger of suffering the agony of being demoted to the English 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 their quest to become a Premier League regular and push for European places in the coming years. The Spaniard 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 also won the Champions League once and the La Liga twice among many other top honours during the course of his managerial career.
A top manager like him won’t like to be kept waiting and could end up leaving the club if they are not quick to sign him up for a long-term deal. It remains to be seen whether he ends up extending his stay at Newcastle in the near future.
