Rafa Benitez will leave Newcastle United at the end of his contract next summer unless there is a drastic switch in spending policy by owner Mike Ashley, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper report that Ashley is unlikely to release significant funds for January spending, with the Spaniard officially set to review his position then.
The Mirror claim that Benitez is currently set to walk away from the Magpies in the summer barring emphatic changes in financial backing from Ashley, who is showing no signs of that happening.
OPINION
This is hardly surprising news. Benitez has delayed signing a new contract this season amid a lack of changes made among the club hierarchy. The Spaniard has been asking for increasing financial backing and several other changes to be made off the pitch for a long time now, and his calls have so far fallen on deaf ears. Ashley continues to run the club like a business, and despite the club officially being up for sale, there is little sign that he actually wants to sell it. The profits made each year are too good for him to walk away without a fight, and unless a huge offer comes in unexpectedly, it looks like he will remain in charge in the foreseeable future. And, while he is at the club, Benitez will struggle to get the backing he desires. The continued infighting and lack of support is not worth him remaining at the club, no matter how much he loves it, and a departure at the end of the season is looking inevitable barring some major changes.