Mark Douglas has dropped a big claim on the Newcastle United takeover consortium involving Rafa Benitez.

Asked in a Q&A session for The Chronicle whether he thinks that Steve Bruce still has the chance of being the manager of the St. James' Park faithful if the proposed deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group were to go through, the football journalist claimed that a takeover would 'likely push Rafa Benitez back into the picture', given his connection with the consortium.

Newcastle return for Benitez?

If the takeover bid were to eventually go through, then it is possible that the prospective new owners would be looking for a new manager to take charge, given that they did not hire Bruce.

Benitez would certainly be a popular choice to replace the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss in the North East, as there are many fans on Tyneside who simply adore him and would love to have him back, making it an easy way for the potential new owners to get the Toon Army on side.

The Spaniard guided the Magpies to promotion back to the Premier League and then managed to keep them in the top flight for two consecutive terms, boasting 62 wins from 146 games in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt), a 42.5% win ratio.

With extra funds available to spend in the transfer market, Benitez may well be interested in a potential return to the Toon, should Bruce leave if the takeover were to go through.

In other news, find out what big NUFC transfer claim has been dropped here!