Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has insisted that the club do not need to sell to buy this month, and declared that the club are not interested in any loan exits.
The Magpies are set for a difficult window as a proposed takeover from Amanda Staveley and PCP Capital Partners looms over the club, and it looks as though Benitez will be limited to loan deals.
The Spaniard has now insisted that he has the finances to avoid selling players in order to fund transfers, and claims that if there is an exit, it will be because the club have a replacement lined up.
He also emphatically revealed the club are not interested in loaning any players out.
Benitez was speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the Magpies’ Premier League clash with Swansea on Saturday.
He was quoted on Twitter by Lee Ryder, chief sports writer at the Newcastle-based Chronicle, who was in attendance:
Rafa: “We have to move players because we need positions in the squad. But we don’t have to sell to buy. If players go it will be because we have replacements.”
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) January 12, 2018
Rafa: “We are not interested in loans out.” #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) January 12, 2018
OPINION
Benitez’s definitive update will give heart to Newcastle fans, who are massively in the dark about the club’s plans this month. The insistence that the club do not need to sell is promising, although it is not clear where money will come from for any permanent deals to take place. The fact that Newcastle are not interested in any loan exits is also heartening, but they would have to be pretty misinformed to have let that happen anyway. What needs to happen now is declaration of a budget. Benitez still does not know how much money he has to spend, and it is already the 12th of January. That is worrying.