Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has said he is expecting at least one signing before the end of the transfer window, but admitted it is a little too late for any guarantees.
The Magpies have had a turbulent January window which has been overshadowed by a potential takeover from Dubai-based consortium PCP Capital Partners.
That takeover bid is now seemingly over after owner Mike Ashley walked away from negotiations, but the club still remain on the market.
Benitez has been left without any transfer budget guarantees, and the club have still not made any signings this month with the end of the window approaching in nine days time.
As quoted by the Chronicle, Benitez said: “It is going to be a very important week for us. We have been working very hard to make sure we have the names who can help the team to stay up. We have the names, we gave a list to the owner. Now, it is just a case of waiting to see if we can do what we have to do.
“They know the names. They know what they have to do, and it doesn’t matter if it is loans or permanent signings, we need the bodies to give the team the ability to manage. This team was in the Championship and got promoted, and we don’t have much experience of the Premier League. We need players with quality who can give us something different or experience. We will see how many we can get.
“I expect someone, but we will see. I don’t know how many we can get, it is a little bit late now. If they have experience in the Premier League, it will be easier for us. But if not, they have to have different characteristics and give us something that we don’t have at the moment.”
OPINION
There are positives and negatives to be taken from Benitez’s comments here. Firstly, it is good news to hear that the club are expecting an arrival or two in the next week. That should be the minimum this month as they look to secure their Premier League survival. It is however worrying to hear Benitez saying ‘it is a little bit late now’ to guarantee a certain number of arrivals. This will add to the fans’ frustration at Ashley for failing to negotiate a takeover and for failing to back Benitez this month. The club are in dire need of a left-back and a striker at the very least, and ideally a wide midfielder to supplement their attack.