“Rafa Benitez will NOT sign a new contract this summer” – Why would he?

We had a form of break through recently with West Ham unable to poach Rafa from Newcastle and it being reported that the Spaniard has committed to being at Newcastle next season. However, he stopped short of signing  a new deal, with the just 12 months left on his current contract.
 
Some may wonder just why he didn’t sign a new deal if ‘positive talks’ had led to him committing himself to the club for next season, but he’s a wise man and knows exactly what he’s doing.
 
Rafa is a master politician and knows once he sings his leverage also goes with Ashley, so is wisely using the contract to get the reassurances he wants in place before he commits. He wants to sign, but he’ll use this summer and next January as a test – ‘show me you’re capable and willing to match my ambitions over the next two windows and then i’ll sign’. Why would he commit to a new deal before he’s seen first hand whether Ashley will deliver on his ‘promises’? After all, what Ashley says he’ll do and what he actually does are often two very different things, so Rafa’s bound to demand proof before he makes the same mistake again. Once bitten, twice as shy..
 
So, with this in mind, what will be the priorities for Rafa before he considers a news deal?

Will they match his ambition?

This is the biggest sticking point – Rafa wants to win trophies and Ashley wants to stay up, spend as little as possible and continue to use NUFC as a vehicle to promote Sports Direct.  There needs to be some intent from Ashley to do something with the club or sell up – and Rafa is forcing him to do one of them. Even Ashley must know it would be toxic to a whole new level if he let Rafa walk away. He back McClaren with cash  – so why not do the same for a genuine, world class manager?
 
If you have some free time, watch an interview Sky Sports La Liga expert Guillem Balague did with Rafa on his YouTube channel. It is an hour long but near the end he covers NUFC and Rafa tellingly says it is always easy to agree salary and contracts with him, deals are held up when he wants the club to back him in making things more professional – the academy, growth for the future and a commitment to wanting to win trophies. The ball is firmly in Ashley’s court.

Will we sign a proper striker?

After a frustrating last few windows, Rafa bailed us out with two shrewd loan moves in Kenedy and Dubravka last January to fire us to a top half finish. However, with TV money now secured again  – he will want a quality striker and not on loan. He is always linked to us but if we did manage to get someone of the ilk of Bas Dost this summer it would be a real signal of intent to Rafa that we mean business and that his future lies here for the longer term.
 
Rafa will also be keen to ensure we do these type of deals quicker. We lost out on the likes of Caballero, Loftus Cheek and Abraham last summer as we dragged our heels. Ashley needs to lay the budget out clearly and let Rafa get on with it – and now.

Can we even compete to sign Kenedy?

Fresh speculation has surfaced claiming German side RB Leipzig are now also keen on the Brazilian, along with Arsenal and PSG. He seems open to returning, but a move is looking more and more unlikely for us based on his likely cost and those big guns interested.
 
Regardless of where he ends up gong, it will be telling for Rafa to see the club even compete to sign a player of his quality and potential price tag. That will at least be a sign for Benitez that finances/ a show of ambition are in place this summer. If we weren’t able to sign him or bring him back on loan, there’d be another big whole to fill out wide.

Will we finally break our transfer record?

This ties into our pursuit of a top striker but it is long overdue we break our transfer record. Every other top flight team had broken it within the last two years and our record should not be half of the likes of Leicester. We have went backwards under Ashley but even he must realise we need to spend more to even just stagnate. We can likely sell Gayle and Mitrovic for a combined fee of nearly £30m so that £17m fee paid for Michael Owen must be a thing of the past come August. In fact, to sign a new deal, Rafa will want the record broken 2/3 times this summer which in today’s climate, isn’t much to ask.
 
Rafa forcing these questions is brilliant for the fans, even if we live in fear in case he leaves. At least someone is making Ashley answer for his lack of ambition and Rafa knows he has the power and pedigree to back Ashley into a corner.
 
Long may it continue; we can celebrate finally having such an ambitious manager at the helm. It does mean though we don’t get the news we want this summer, that Benitez has signed a new deal. But while he stays in some capacity – he must have hope he can win the power battle with Ashley – otherwise he would take up one of the other offers he will no doubt be getting.

 (Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

507 thoughts on ““Rafa Benitez will NOT sign a new contract this summer” – Why would he?

  1. Lots of talk about this Nuhu from Young Boys for around £7.5m. Young Ghanaian CB – I wonder if that’s come from Atsu. Apparently Kevin Mbabu is catching the eye at Young Boys as well – is he one we let go too soon?!.

      (Quote)

  2. PremAndUp:
    It’s easy to say we should have kept Mbabu. but we had Haidera on the books at the same time. ManU let Pogba go.

    i thought he played a top game against Chelsea,i was there he never gave their star player a kick,i thought hes a one for the future

      (Quote)

  3. Georgio: my stupid theory/wishful thinking with England is that we have been so bad for so long at tournaments that the only way to go is up (there must be some song there since the England team are not doing one).

    I remember South Africa because England played the USA, USA, USA and the football was just so bloody awful and the players rebelled against Capello but when John Terry came out and said something they all backed off and let him take all the heat.

    And Brasil, what a disaster, but they kept Mr. Roy anyway.

    Then the Euros where Mr. Roy goes sightseeing and lets Rooney take over. And the football we played was again agony to watch.

    I just figure we have the easiest path to the QFs but it is England so we will probably draw against Tunisia and lose to Latvia who we are not even playing.

      (Quote)

  4. PremAndUp:
    It’s easy to say we should have kept Mbabu. but we had Haidera on the books at the same time. ManU let Pogba go.

    Prem – I would have rather kept Mbabu personally mate, but I think there was questions around injuries. As Ice says, he performed well enough for the first team when he got his chance.

      (Quote)

  5. icedog:
    so Real/M want L/pool manager if that happens will that mean Rafa back to L/pool????

    I saw that Real have given up on Pochettino because he is happy at Spurs. Was in The Mail so who knows! I just can’t think of anyone else because they have aging superstars and have won 3 CLs in a row. The next manager is setting themselves up for a fall which is why I find the Klopp rumour hard to fathom. He already has a really good team and they are adding quality to it at Liverpool.

      (Quote)

  6. It is not just Ronaldo at Madrid, you have Ramos, Marcelo and Modric all hitting 30+ at the same time. That is usually a recipe for disaster for a manager either this year or next.

      (Quote)

  7. Eric Sykes: I saw that Real have given up on Pochettino because he is happy at Spurs. Was in The Mail so who knows! I just can’t think of anyone else because they have aging superstars and have won 3 CLs in a row. The next manager is setting themselves up for a fall which is why I find the Klopp rumour hard to fathom. He already has a really good team and they are adding quality to it at Liverpool.

    Are we to call you nutmeg rather than mystic meg now then?! ?

      (Quote)

  8. Daily Star saying NUFC are keen on Jack Wilshere. Are they trying to give me a heart attack!!!

    It doesn’t sound likely as we already have Shelvey. Wilshere is just too slow now to be box to box or a No. 10 so he would only be suitable to the Shelvey role. I am sure Rafa knows this. Would the Fatman really pay someone more than 100k a week in wages?

    We better strap in because the papers and pundits are going to have a feeding frenzy of speculation with the WC and any player scoring a goal will be the next Messi.

    Prem put up a link that showed the BBC are taking roughly the population of Guam as pundits/analysts to Russia so you just know they will be competing on who can make the most outrageous claim of who Man U MUST SIGN. And then it will filter down to us.

      (Quote)

  9. If Whilshire took sensible wages, I’d take him on a free transfer like.
    Also talk that Abel Hernandez has now left Hull and is available on a free – I’d take him too.

    Not saying either would be in my starting 11, but both would strengthen the squad – both could be ‘game changers’ from the bench.

      (Quote)

  10. Sharpy17:
    If Whilshire took sensible wages, I’d take him on a free transfer like.
    Also talk that Abel Hernandez has now left Hull and is available on a free – I’d take him too.

    Not saying either would be in my starting 11, but both would strengthen the squad – both could be ‘game changers’ from the bench.

    The problem with Wilshere is still his injuries but also that he would EXPECT to start.

      (Quote)

  11. PremAndUp:
    How the h do you pronounce that anyway

    My dream come true would be having Chris Waddle or Clive Allen trying to pronounce that name.

      (Quote)

  12. PremAndUp:
    Jackson Martinez and Mario Balotelli are also available on Frees. Would you like them as well?

    Prem – I don’t think so mate. Both can be extremely talented on their day but I think their characters are probably wrong for our squad of players.

      (Quote)

  13. Eric Sykes: The problem with Wilshere is still his injuries but also that he would EXPECT to start.

    Eric – **** what he would expect mate, but yeah, you make a valid point about his injuries. I do think he can be an influential player when fit though.

      (Quote)

  14. Don’t know who this guy is. Although I’ve never heard of the source of the story.

    I’d take Wiltshire on a free too.

      (Quote)

  15. Sharpy17: Eric – **** what he would expect mate, but yeah, you make a valid point about his injuries.I do think he can be an influential player when fit though.

    Sharpy: there is no way that Ashley would pay him what other clubs will offer. I have watched Wilshere a lot because they show almost all Arsenal games in the US. He has had a few stinkers but can still pick a pass which is why he can only play as a “quarterback” midfielder. He is just sooooooooo slow now that that is his only role. And we have Shelvey already.

      (Quote)

  16. Can’t beat the old rumours from Turkey. They almost never come to anything. The kid did used to be at Arsenal though so maybe there’s something in it.
    It was Hazard that Mbabu played out of the game Ice. Looked a top prospect but did have injury problems.

      (Quote)

  17. Sharpy17: Prem – I don’t think so mate.Both can be extremely talented on their day but I think their characters are probably wrong for our squad of players.

    Is Balotelli the one who set fireworks of in his bathroom?

      (Quote)

  18. Jackson Martinez now 31. Done nowt for two seasons. Did’nt even play last season, but before that was one of the top strikers. If he could convince Rafa he was worth a shout he would be better than Josula.

    Super Mario of firework fame. Mad as a hatter, and very variable in his output. But handled well scored 18 in 28 at nice last season. I know Josula isnt a yardstick but either of these two could be perfect for coming off the bench.

      (Quote)

  19. Why are the tabloids and Chronic so obsessed with peoples’ ages? It is always like – Mario Balotelli, 24, goes shopping for new car. Or Grandfather, 64, flies home from holiday after being bitten by friend’s pet rat.

    It is a total irrelevance to the story in most cases but they have to tell us anyway.

      (Quote)

  20. Lee Ryder, 52, writes another inane story about NUFC. Never has a quote from Rafa Benitez, 58. Or Lee Charnley, 42. When asked about it, Chris Waugh, 5, said don’t worry Eric, 51, Lee is ready for his pension and you won’t have to read him anymore soon.

      (Quote)

  21. Eric Sykes: Sharpy: there is no way that Ashley would pay him what other clubs will offer. I have watched Wilshere a lot because they show almost all Arsenal games in the US. He has had a few stinkers but can still pick a pass which is why he can only play as a “quarterback” midfielder. He is just sooooooooo slow now that that is his only role. And we have Shelvey already.

    I know mate, but we all know Shelvey has a red card in him and I just think Whilshire would be a good replacement during those bans – I’m not saying that’s the only time I’d play Whilshire obviously, I’m just saying him being there would allow us to keep playing that way.
    I think he could make a difference from the bench too if Shelvey was having a poor game.
    But again, I agree. I suspect Whilshire will want big wages, and regular footy and I don’t think we can offer either at the mo.

      (Quote)

  22. georgio:
    Can’t beat the old rumours from Turkey. They almost never come to anything. The kid did used to be at Arsenal though so maybe there’s something in it.
    It was Hazard that Mbabu played out of the game Ice. Looked a top prospect but did have injury problems.

    your spot on there bud

      (Quote)

  23. PremAndUp:
    Jackson Martinez now 31. Done nowt for two seasons. Did’nt even play last season, but before that was one of the top strikers. If he could convince Rafa he was worth a shout he would be better than Josula.

    Super Mario of firework fame. Mad as a hatter, and very variable in his output. But handled well scored 18 in 28 at nice last season. I know Josula isnt a yardstick but either of these two could be perfect for coming off the bench.

    Prem – yeah footballing wise I couldn’t argue with that. But I think personality wise they would be awful for the squad – and Lascelles would have to punch them like he did Diame – mind you, it seemed to work with him coz he was class after that.

    But with regards Abel Henandez, I think he would be better than Joselu, and have a better work ethic than the 2 above.
    He isn’t the forward I want to see leading our line next season, but a decent bench player I reckon.

      (Quote)

  24. Stuart79:
    Don’t know who this guy is. Although I’ve never heard of the source of the story.

    I’d take Wiltshire on a free too.

    i wouldnt take him with a gold pig attached,Gosling kept him out of game at B/mouth,plus hes a right sick note

      (Quote)

  25. BTW Prem. That wasn’t in any way a reference to you saying Jackson Martinez is now 31. That is totally relevant as when footballers hit 30 that’s usually when you need to worry. Unless they are Mo Diame 🙂 I just don’t get why the papers have to tell you everybody’s age when it is not relevant at all. Like when they say “Eddie the Eagle Edwards, 54” took a **** today.

      (Quote)

  26. Here is a brand new front four for you (goals and assists in brackets)
    CF Bas Dost Sporting £18m (34/7)
    LW Qunincy Promes Spartak £25m (24/10)
    SS Moussa Marego FC Porto £11m 23/8)
    RW Alireza Jahanbakhsh Alkmaar £8m (22/14)
    93 goals and 35 assists between them last season. Got to be worth it 😆

      (Quote)

  27. PremAndUp:
    Totally Agree Eric. Relevant that Balotelli is only 27. But not when his house is on fire.

    It’s relevant in the sense that he’s old enough to know better!!
    That’s what my gran would say anyway ?

      (Quote)

  28. PremAndUp:
    Here is a brand new front four for you (goals and assists in brackets)
    CF Bas Dost Sporting £18m (34/7)
    LW Qunincy PromesSpartak £25m (24/10)
    SS Moussa Marego FC Porto £11m 23/8)
    RW Alireza Jahanbakhsh Alkmaar £8m (22/14)
    93 goals and 35 assists between them last season. Got to be worth it

    I’d take the 2 top ones in a heartbeat mate. Never heard of the other 2 but can’t argue with those stats to be fair.

      (Quote)

  29. PremAndUp:
    Here is a brand new front four for you (goals and assists in brackets)
    CF Bas Dost Sporting £18m (34/7)
    LW Qunincy PromesSpartak £25m (24/10)
    SS Moussa Marego FC Porto £11m 23/8)
    RW Alireza Jahanbakhsh Alkmaar £8m (22/14)
    93 goals and 35 assists between them last season. Got to be worth it

    That would suit me… ?? window sorted. ??

      (Quote)

  30. icedog: i wouldnt take him with a gold pig attached,Gosling kept him out of game at B/mouth,plus hes a right sick note

    Is that a saying Ice? “Gold Pig Attached” I have never heard that one before 🙂

      (Quote)

  31. Puyol the Barca c/h must be on crack,says Shola is the greatest c/f he played against

      (Quote)

  32. Icedog:
    Puyol the Barca c/h must be on crack,says Shola is the greatest s c/f he played against

    Ice – still nowt from wor Kim like mate?

      (Quote)

  33. Sharpy17: Ice – still nowt from wor Kim like mate?

    Not a dickie SHARPY,imo starting to think things not good,in the past I would get reply within the hour

      (Quote)

  34. PremAndUp:
    One source says we bid, another source says we didnt. Neither know what they are talking about. More click bait

    It’s a local reporter saying Rafa not interested in him,target is elsewhere

      (Quote)

  35. Icedog: Not a dickie SHARPY,imo starting to think things not good,in the past I would get reply within the hour

    It’s totally out of character like isn’t it

      (Quote)

  36. I must say I am getting a bit concerned that these talks about a new contract seem to have come to a grinding halt. I understand Rafa saying he won’t sign until the club prove themselves but according to George Caulking the club are saying they can’t sign players if they don’t know the manager will be here long term. I find that a strange reposte from the club considering Rafa would no doubt talk to the player and allay any fears they’d have.

    There still seems to be a major impasse about how the transfer budget is spent. Can anybody please explain the rationale behind Jabba not allowing Rafa to spend the pot any way he wants? Basically Jabba is saying, I don’t trust you Rafa.

    I see another summer of nonsense ahead.

      (Quote)

  37. Caulkin is just another journalist making stuff up. Everybody’s on holiday saying nothing.

      (Quote)

  38. georgio:
    Caulkin is just another journalist making stuff up. Everybody’s on holiday saying nothing.

    Hilarious – you still don’t know how the media works… 🙂

      (Quote)

  39. The media works at many levels from leaks to press conferences, to quotes taken out of context to support a journalists viewpoint, to gossip[, speculation and complete nonsense. That’s not the problem. The problem is we don’t know which is which, so we sift through it and unconsciously select the stuff that supports our own beliefs. There is part of our brain that deliberately filters out anything that disagrees with our beliefs to help preserve our sanity. It means that we are wrong, but believe we are right, and therefore everything is OK. Somewhat oversimplified for a blog.

      (Quote)

  40. Blimey! Germany have left Leroy Sane out of their WC squad!!! Jesus, they must have some serious players!

      (Quote)

  41. PremAndUp:
    The media works at many levels from leaks to press conferences, to quotes taken out of context to support a journalists viewpoint, to gossip[, speculation and complete nonsense. That’s not the problem. The problem is we don’t know which is which, so we sift through it and unconsciously select the stuff that supports our own beliefs. There is part of our brain that deliberately filters out anything that disagrees with our beliefs to help preserve our sanity. It means that we are wrong, but believe we are right, and therefore everything is OK. Somewhat oversimplified for a blog.

    It’s not hard to differentiate the different “stories”. Opinion pieces are just that – opinion. Transfer stories or new manager stories are written when a journalist is given info from someone close to a player, a manager or the selling/buying club. Often it’s agents trying to drum up interest in their player. On some occasions it’s the club trying to show the fans they mean business ie West Ham. What really interests me is the leaks from people at clubs or close to the managers. These are clear leaks for various reasons. Journalists don’t make the stories up – they report what they’re told. Take the current situation with Rafa. It’s clear that there are still problems with regards his contract and the control Rafa wants over the transfer kitty. The journo’s haven’t all just made it up – that would be too much of a coincidence. This info will be coming From Rafa’s side, it doesn’t do any favours for the club so it won’t be them.

    Basically the narrative that the press make everything up is plain nonsense. To think that players, managers or clubs don’t give info out to journos is for the birds.

      (Quote)

  42. Absolutely agree Stuart, but we still interpret that data to suit our own beliefs. Some are more optimistic, pessimistic than others.

      (Quote)

  43. If I was a club who needed a centre half or a good midfielder I’d certainly be taking advantage of the uncertainty here. I’d be tempting Lascelles and Shelley will certainty and ambition. Be interested what happens when we do get bids for these players. I’ll be interested in the players reaction.

      (Quote)

  44. PremAndUp:
    The media works at many levels from leaks to press conferences, to quotes taken out of context to support a journalists viewpoint, to gossip[, speculation and complete nonsense. That’s not the problem. The problem is we don’t know which is which, so we sift through it and unconsciously select the stuff that supports our own beliefs. There is part of our brain that deliberately filters out anything that disagrees with our beliefs to help preserve our sanity. It means that we are wrong, but believe we are right, and therefore everything is OK. Somewhat oversimplified for a blog.

    I totally agree with you Prem. I try to watch some stuff that I disagree with. A Trump news conference or rally, for example. I go in preconditioned that he is a dangerous clown who appeals to the lowest common denominator. But he has some sort of populist message because he was elected FFS (so was Hitler 🙂 ). Not everything he says is wrong, but I do object to the way he delivers the message.

    I know on a subconscious level I do block out some opposing views. I really have conditioned myself not to believe a word Lee Ryder says because he annoys me. But his recent player assessments were mostly correct and I inwardly acknowledged that, but I still think he is an idiot and will jump on anything stupid that he says – so 99% of it 🙂

      (Quote)

  45. Stuart: there is a lot of click-baiting going on though. Certain publications and people (Robbie Savage, Martin Keown, Stan Collymore) want to be as outrageous as possible to garner them clicks because that’s how they now get paid. The 3 pundits I mentioned are minor pundits/celebrities so they do it to promote their “brand”. Prem could explain it better. I did read his online self help stuff and it is quite interesting although I wont be signing up.

      (Quote)

  46. Eric Sykes:
    Stuart: there is a lot of click-baiting going on though. Certain publications and people (Robbie Savage, Martin Keown, Stan Collymore) want to be as outrageous as possible to garner them clicks because that’s how they now get paid. The 3 pundits I mentioned are minor pundits/celebrities so they do it to promote their “brand”. Prem could explain it better. I did read his online self help stuff and it is quite interesting although I wont be signing up.

    Yes the click bait is obvious. It’s when the Chronicle decide to post the same link on Twitter but with a different header. It’s also when they buy a link up for a transfer story that has been reported by another news outlet. Their reasoning is that it’s their right to bring supporters up to date with links to players from other websites ect…

    I don’t have a problem with Lee Ryder or Mark Douglas writing an article about a player we’re interested in. There’s a good chance they’ve been informed by either the club or the players agent that’s there’s interest. That’s fair enough. But the reporting of fairly anonymous links from sources on a obscure website tends to get on my pecks!

      (Quote)

  47. I don’t get why Everton would think they can poach our players? Why would Lascelles go there? Isn’t it a sideways move?

    I know they have won things more recently than us but their last success was still 30 years ago. Their owner has more ambition than Ashley, but can you really trust him when he OKs the purchase of a clearly past-it Rooney and appointment of a blow-hard bloated self-agrandising bull frog as Manager?

    And they have that 500 million pound stadium to pay for. Liverpool is not London and I can’t see punters shelling out double their ticket prices just because they have a shiny new stadium. Even if it has a cheese room like the new White Hart Lane!

      (Quote)

  48. This is not a snob thing on my part, I am just imagining what the new Everton high roller lounge will be. The Spurs one I am sure will be the cheeses from France and Spain served by waiters in crisp white shirts and tuxedo trousers, accompanied by incredibly overpriced wines.

    The Merseyside one will be assorted black pudding with warm lager (Budweiser, probably) served by teenagers in tracky tops and baseball caps.

    By the way, I love black pudding and was asked to take off my Cubs baseball cap once before they would let me into a pub/club/bar in Manchester.

      (Quote)

  49. Ice, there’s a ton of Irish bars in Chicago which are the only places I can get black pudding. They call it an Irish Breakfast, which is basically an English Breakfast except it comes with a side of Guinness and a shot of Jamesons.

      (Quote)

  50. Oh Stuart, I know precisely how the media works. The players are all on holiday as is Rafa. Charnley never says anything. Bishop and Barnes are both away. Well there’s some serious column inches to fill . . .

      (Quote)

  51. Eric Sykes:
    Ice, there’s a ton of Irish bars in Chicago which are the only places I can get black pudding. They call it an Irish Breakfast, which is basically an English Breakfast except it comes with a side of Guinness and a shot of Jamesons.

    would be my first port of call 😆 😆

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *