Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez and the club remain some way apart in their ongoing talks, according to the Independent.
The report claims that Benitez has had multiple conversations with owner Mike Ashley but the contract impasse seems to be around how much control the manager has over transfers.
Benitez wants to be able to sign players despite their age or how much they could be sold on for – and it won’t take Newcastle fans long to think of striker Salomon Rondon here.
Benitez becomes a free agent on June 30th and he’s already been offered £12million-a-year to go to Chinese club Dalian Yifang.
The Independent has poured cold water on this, however, with the report stating that he sees his future in the Premier League or Europe even if he leaves Newcastle.
OPINION
Everything’s up in the air for Newcastle, again. Benitez seemingly wants to stay and Mike Ashley wants to hold onto him. Meanwhile, Ashley wants to sell the club and the BZG are reportedly interested. It’s possible that Benitez could sign and the BZG complete a takeover, free up funds and let Benitez sign who he wants to. But Newcastle fans have been here before and they’ve got every right to be sceptical. First things first though, and the most pressing concern is Benitez. He’s an elite-class manager and he’ll be a free agent in less than two weeks. Mike Ashley is a businessman and he must know that the club will be more attractive to buyers with Benitez confirmed as manager for another season. Ashley can do what he likes with his club – as the fans know all too well – but if this report is accurate, Benitez isn’t asking for much. Control over the players he buys is surely no more than he deserves after getting them into the Premier League and keeping them there despite little investment. The next two weeks will be critical for the future of the club. We believe that letting Benitez go would be a monumental mistake that could have huge consequences for both the short-term and long-term future of the club. That it might come down to whether Benitez can sign Rondon or not, a player who had a fantastic season in black and white, seems scarcely believable.