Martin Keown believes that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley must back Rafael Benitez in the remainder of the transfer window and stressed the club can’t lose him this season if they want to ensure Premier League survival.
Ashley recently explained that the North East club don’t have the budgets to compete with the top sides of the top flight in the transfer window.
However, many Magpies fans have grown frustrated at the club’s lack of spending in the summer and feel they need more quality added to the squad if they are to survive back in the Premier League.
Jacob Murphy is their record signing in the window at £12million from Norwich, while they also snapped up striker Joselu from Stoke for £5million on Wednesday.
Keown feels that Newcastle need to give Benitez a licence to spend in the remaining weeks of the window and maintain a good relationship with him, while also labelling him as a “brilliant manager”.
“It is about time Ashley opened up – he should have done so far sooner,” Keown wrote in the Mail. “In his interview, he apologised to almost every single manager he’s had at St James’ Park.
“He now has a brilliant manager in Rafa Benitez and must not lose him. Ashley must maintain a good relationship with Benitez and give him what he needs to keep the club in the Premier League.”
OPINION
Ashley is insisting that Benitez is getting all the funds available to him, but Newcastle are yet to make any marquee signings in the window. The Magpies really do face a fight for survival with their current squad and can’t afford to let Benitez get frustrated and leave. They really do have a top-class manager at the helm and should be doing everything they can to keep him happy. Ashley has suggested that he would sell the club if more wealthy owners approached him and that may be needed if Newcastle are to establish themselves back in the top flight.