The Newcastle fans in the Transfer Tavern have been left fearing the worst after reading a story in The Mirror that claims Rafa Benitez wants written guarantees of his transfer budget and powers in the market. This comes after the Spaniard was let down last summer, despite verbally agreeing with Mike Ashley that he’d have £70 million to spend across three transfer windows.
Rafa wants written guarantees about his future transfer budget and powers. Benitez and #NUFC struck a verbal agreement around a year ago which gave him around £70M to spend over three transfer windows. But he was let down when his early-summer targets were not signed. [Mirror]
— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) May 2, 2018
For the Magpies propping our bar up, Mike Ashley letting Benitez down and failing to make funds available has come as no surprise. The Sports Direct owner has developed a reputation for making a profit from the club without giving back, and his lack of investment could force one of football’s greatest managers to walk away from the club. Benitez deal at St James Park expires in 2019 and the club have tabled him a new offer, although he’s reluctant to sign until he knows he has more financial power.
The Spaniard will no doubt be used to working with much more lenient budgets. Having previously managed Liverpool, Chelsea, Valencia, Real Madrid and Napoli, the Spaniard has been taking on an entirely different project in the Northeast and has been succeeding every step of the way. The 58-year-old won promotion from the Championship with the Geordies in his first full season and has now guided the club to a top-ten finish in their first back in the top-flight. For the fans, keeping Benitez at the helm is a must and to see him go cheaply would be one of the worst things the club could do at the moment.
Taking that into account, here are the thoughts of our local Magpies:
Rafa do yourself a favour mate, go to a club where the owner will have ambition and back you. You can’t trust Ashley. King Kev said exactly that
— Steve McKenna (@SteveMcKenna_) May 3, 2018
So by this criteria.. If we were to sign Kenedy for £20m+ in this window, then other than outgoings we would be done. #NUFC
— Football Barmy (@wideon) May 2, 2018
https://twitter.com/agbnufc/status/991803136011579392
That’s Rafa gone then!!
— Jamie (@fran3ky) May 3, 2018
To be fair some we dodged a bullet on the ones he missed out on
— Jonny5isalive (@TinoVickers) May 3, 2018
This is so easy. Unfortunately Ashley and his minions are utterly incapable, or unwilling, to properly support the club, its supporters, or it’s world class manager. They must not let this opportunity pass.
— Potomac Toon (@PotomacToon) May 3, 2018
He’s going to leave #nufc
— gavinquinlan (@gavinquinlan) May 3, 2018
So £70m to spend between last summer, January and next summer? About 24m a window? As tight as we are that sounds way out, it means he's only expecting about £30m this next summer as we spent £40m a year ago!
— Chutney (@andy_emmers) May 2, 2018
