Newcastle attacker Ayoze Perez has said that the club is united in hoping that Rafael Benitez can be persuaded to stay on at St. James’ Park.
Benitez is set for crunch talks with Magpies owner Mike Ashley this week, which could hold the final say in whether the Spaniard stays or leaves the North East.
Speaking after the end of the season and with the Spanish manager’s future up in the air, Perez said that everyone at the club is desperate for the 64-year-old to continue at the helm.
“That’s the idea. We all want him to stay as it’s something good for the club,” he told the Chronicle.
“We became a better club from the day he arrived. We have to make sure we keep him because the team and the club can keep growing up. That’s what we have done throughout the last few seasons.”
OPINION
Newcastle fans will by now surely just want this whole thing over with. There have been weeks of speculation surrounding Benitez’s future at St. James’ Park, and it looks as if things are finally starting to be put in motion. The talks are ongoing this week and they could hold the key in Benitez deciding whether he wants to stay. There are two big things that will likely be on the agenda during these talks; the summer transfer budget and the futures of on-loan striker Salomon Rondon. It was revealed earlier this week that Newcastle have learnt how much they will have to pay to make his move from West Brom a permanent one, and after him producing his best-ever statistics in front of English nets this season, it is a no-brainer where Newcastle fans will want to see him play. As for the budget, Benitez will want assurances he can go out and spend. If Rondon cannot be signed and there is a small budget, Benitez could be off.