OPINION
On Friday afternoon, Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez gave the surest sign yet that he is ready to sit down and talk to owner Mike Ashley about a new long-term contract at St. James’ Park.
As quoted by the Chronicle, Benitez said: “Me and the club have to be on the same page. They know my idea, we know what every single fan is expecting, and we have to show we can do that. I want to be in at least the top 10 and then win trophies, be it the FA Cup, the League Cup or Europa League.
“The situation is clear for me, I can feel the passion and ambitions of the fans. Now I just need to know the club match my ambitions too. I’d like to speak to them about that as soon as possible.”
It is now clear that Benitez is happy to spend his long-term future on Tyneside, and is ready to sit down and talk with Ashley about a deal that will allow him to do so.
The Spaniard has so far been coy on his personal future this season, putting off any discussions until the end of the campaign and instead keeping focused on the team itself.
But this is a black-and-white indication that he is now ready for talks, and Ashley must move quickly to enter discussions with Benitez.
The club will not find a better manager anywhere in the world than Benitez, and his latest comments about reaching Europe an challenging for trophies indicate exciting times ahead for the club.
But Ashley must not mistake his latest comments for a guarantee that he will stay, because there will no doubt be other teams interested in his services after the work he has done on Tyneside.
The Newcastle owner must move quickly and do whatever it takes to tie Benitez down to a long-term deal as soon as possible, and if his demands are not met then there is no reason he will not up sticks and leave.
If there was ever a come-and-get-me plea from Benitez, this is it, and Ashley would be stupid to not realise that.