Newcastle United: Rafa Benitez offers insight into Mike Ashley meetings
By Roy Emanuel
Candid remarks from the manager regarding the current transfer period.
Every Premier League club must balance different elements when it comes to their transfer activity, as revenue and resources are obviously critical to how they will approach the market. Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has not always been very open about the state of the club in this regard, but manager Rafa Benitez has discussed recent meetings on the subject to shed some light on the actions being put in place.
In conversations with the media, the Spanish coach has cleared up some of the thoughts behind his reported £30m transfer budget. “Mike said the budget is mine and I can do what I want with the numbers he has given me. It is the same with wages.”
The statements come as a breath of fresh air for many Newcastle supporters, and there have been signs that negative views toward transfer activity may not be completely accurate.
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The additions of Florian Lejeune and Jacob Murphy certainly stand out, as both should be strong contributors to the upcoming campaign for the Magpies.
The allocation of transfer funds and Rafa’s future
Benitez’s comments to The Daily Mail featured two interesting aspects about how he sees both his own future and Newcastle’s. His words regarding how “the budget is his” were in response to a question aimed at Ashley, and if the funds could be spent on one player or for several.
This is noteworthy because it shows the influence Benitez has for his squad, and assures supporters that it is the boss’ choice along with the board’s. Another question was about if he was considering leaving Tyneside this summer, and his response was both honest and genuine.
“I could go away and make some money. If you go to China you can make a lot of money. The priority for me was to stay. I decided to stay because of the fans, the club, the possibilities for the future and to stay in England close to my family. Then the meeting was crucial to convince me to stay. Mike told me “We have this money, it is available, it’s OK”, so, fine, we were happy with that.”
With so much uncertainty ahead of their top-flight return, it is a major positive for Newcastle to have their manager engaged and focused on success.
Next: Newcastle United will hope Manquillo follows Yedlin's footsteps
Rafa Benitez is ready to lead Newcastle United back to the top of English football. But maybe more importantly, it is also the objective that he himself wants to achieve.