It’s not very often that you see football fans calling for a player or a manager to turn down a contract that they’ve been offered. However, that’s exactly what the Magpies have doing today after the news broke in The Times that Mike Ashley has tabled Rafa Benitez with a one-year contract extension that will see him stay at the club until summer 2020.
Rafa Benitez has been offered a one-year extension to his contract at Newcastle in order to sort out the latest transfer window stand-off that is threatening his future at the club. https://t.co/qcwr8IoUYl #nufc
— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) January 6, 2019
The Geordies all absolutely adore Rafa Benitez, and whilst they’re not shy of giving the Spaniard criticism when they think he deserves it, there isn’t a single manager around who they’d rather have over their coy tactician, especially considering the loyalty and brilliance that he’s shown them since he took over at St James Park back in 2016 following Steven McLaren’s sacking.
At the moment, it looks like Newcastle United are going to be caught up in a relegation dogfight, and with little to no funds to spend this month, that’s not where they want to be. The Magpies finished 10th last season and have gone backwards since then, so it would be no surprise if Benitez was to see out his final year on his deal and move on from the club, and now the fans are even calling for him to snub Ashley, as they hate the way that their club and Benitez has been treated under him.
You can read the Geordies’ verdict on the Benitez contract here:
He should tell them to sign legally binding agreement they'll give him £50m to spend at the least in this window or he's not signing. Good luck selling #nufc without Rafa there #AshleyOut
— Chris Currie (@Wig82) January 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/anonymousChap9/status/1081829875542044672
If I was Rafa I'd tell them to spend the money first then I'll sign. I'm sure Rafa knows by now what he's dealing with here. No way would they back him even if he did sign new deal!
— Mark Wallace (@wallacemark2607) January 6, 2019
https://twitter.com/A_J_Hill83/status/1081890477706825728
https://twitter.com/dustyrerds/status/1081875748019990528
https://twitter.com/ron1981rs/status/1081841260153970689
Don't sign it Rafa tell him money frist and I met think about it
— Steven Renforth (@RenforthSteven) January 6, 2019
The Magpies hate the idea of losing Rafa, but would rather see the Spaniard go out on his own accord than bow to Ashley’s regime.
