Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has offered the supporters a stem of hope regarding his future at St James’ Park.
Over the international break, the Spaniard has not been a part of any talks regarding his new deal despite the fact that there less than a year remaining on his current contract.
However, despite there being no actual developments on this front, Benitez has insisted that he is happy to remain at the Toon, and does not seem worried about the salary that was put on the table not long ago.
“What I will say about the North East and Newcastle is you can live your life and you can enjoy your football. The people love the club and love the team, especially if you are giving everything,” he said when asked about his contract, as quoted by the Chronicle.
“That is the perfect scenario for a manager. So I am quite relaxed because I am happy here. Hopefully we can do the right things here and it will be easier for us to make a decision. We just have to think about games and improving the team. And see what happens later on.”
OPINION
Newcastle supporters will undoubtedly be hoping that Benitez is tied down to a new deal soon, as him leaving at the end of the season would be a worst-case scenario for them. He has achieved a lot since he arrived on Tyneside, and they cannot afford for him to depart. However, the fact that he has said he is “happy” and is “relaxed” about the whole contract situation will certainly be a relief to the United faithful. This implies that he is more focused on getting the team results rather than being distracted with contract talks, which is obviously a good thing. Improving Newcastle’s points tally in the Premier League is his main priority at the moment, so it remains to be seen whether he will pen a new deal in the next few months. Nevertheless, the fans do not need to worry too much about Benitez and his future after these comments, as it does not look like he will be going anywhere anytime soon.