OPINION
There can be no doubt that Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez would have been bitterly disappointed with the transfer business that the club conducted during the summer window, and with him in the final year of his contract, the Magpies are playing a risky game.
At present, it looks a slim chance that the Spaniard will be staying at St James’ Park any longer than next summer, having put pen to paper on a three year deal following the club’s relegation back in 2016.
The board on Tyneside need to prove that they are being ambitious enough to convince him to stay, and perhaps a reunion with a trusted member of his backroom staff might sway things in Newcastle’s favour.
ESPN claim on their website that West Ham and AC Milan have tabled offers for Leicester City’s head of senior recruitment Eduardo Macia, having joined the Foxes in 2016, and he is a man Benitez knows extremely well.
The 44-year-old was a scout for the Newcastle manager during their time at both Valencia and then Liverpool, and together they conducted some of the Reds’ best business in the market, including the capture of Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano.
His record of signings is among the top in the business, especially when working with Rafa, and reuniting the two would give Newcastle an added edge when it comes to recruitment – if Mike Ashley is willing to back them, of course.
It is also a move that shows Benitez the club are willing to support him by bringing in trusted members to his backroom staff, and should go a long way to convincing him to pen a new deal.