OPINION
Rafa Benitez must be moving closer to signing a new deal to keep him at Newcastle United longer as it seems the club are going to give him the tools to succeed.
The Daily Mirror reported on Thursday that the Magpies were set to hand Benitez a transfer kitty of £100million to re-build his squad and let him have the cash from player sales to spend as well.
While normally that sort of report is enough to suggest Benitez should stay, he has been given even more of a reason to stick around St James Park based on the latest remarks of Lee Charnley.
The Magpies managing director explained that the club were eager to be competitive at every level and look to add high-quality players to the first-team squad every season, with Charnley noting the club wanted players who’d improve the team.
“[We want to] be competitive at every level, and in every competition. We are convinced that the best route to achieving this is to do so sustainably, spending on young development players and adding high quality to the first team squad each season,” said Charnley, as transcribed by BBC Sport.
“Players that can really make a difference and improve the team – without risking the financial health and stability of the club.”
With the Magpies seeming to be set to operate on a quality not quantity method in the summer, surely Benitez knows the Magpies are about to reflect his ambitions for the club going forward.
Some may focus on Charnley’s remarks about not wanting to risk the club’s financial health as a possible suggestion that the club will be reluctant to spend the cash, but given his comments emerged at the same time as the Mirror’s report, it seems enough money will be allocated to Benitez.
When you consider that the newspaper claim Benitez has been told of the Magpies two-year plan to invest and strengthen then surely Charnley’s publicly remarks are just the cherry on the top for the manager, as it shows how serious the managing director is about the club progressing.