Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez will delay talks over a new contract at the club until after the January transfer window closes, according to The Times.
The newspaper report that the club’s top brass have indicated they would like the extend the 57-year-old’s contract at St. James’ Park, but Benitez will not entertain talks until the end of the transfer window as he focuses on signings.
The Times claim that Benitez had a phone conversation with owner Mike Ashley last week in which he was promised financial backing in the market amid uncertainty over the club’s transfer budget.
It is said that Benitez’s priority is a £20million striker, and there is now hope that a loan deal for Chelsea flyer Kenedy can be completed soon.
Benitez has been a key figure since his appointment in 2016, leading the club straight back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
OPINION
This is strange timing from Newcastle as the club look to secure the signings that will help them on their way to Premier League survival. Obviously Benitez’s future at the club is key, especially to any takeover that may occur in the coming months, but it is not like the Spaniard will walk away before the end of the season. Benitez’s decision to delay talks is a sensible one, and now fans must merely hope that Ashley’s claim that he will provide transfer funds is true. Newcastle are yet to make a signing and there is only 10 days left in the window.