Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez is set to remain at the club until the end of the season despite now being able to walk away for free, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper report that a clause which would have seen Benitez forced to pay owner Mike Ashley £6million for leaving his contract early has now expired.
The Mirror claim that Benitez will however not take advantage of his newfound ability to leave the club for free, with the Spaniard concerned that an exit will leave the club in serious danger of relegation.
It is said that Benitez does not want to turn his back on the Toon faithful despite his continuing differences with Ashley.
OPINION
Despite now being able to walk away from Newcastle for free, such a decision would never even have crossed Benitez’s mind. The Spaniard has fallen in love with the city and the club, and has a special relationship with the Toon Army, who worship him for the work he has done on Tyneside. Benitez walking away with the club in such a perilous situation would surely condemn the Magpies to relegation, although some fans would likely not blame him at all for making such a decision. The hatred of Ashley on Tyneside continues to grow by the day, and it has got to the point where some fans on social media have indeed been calling for Benitez to leave in order to force Ashley out. Obviously that would not be the best way of going about things, but it illustrates just how desperate things have got for some supporters this season.