Bad news – Report reveals what Mike Ashley will offer Rafa Benitez ahead of crucial meeting

Ahead of an upcoming meeting which could decide Rafa Benitez’s future, The Chronicle claim that Mike Ashley is ‘reluctant’ to sanction the Spaniard’s demands surrounding transfer budget and improvements to the U-23’s, Academy and training ground.

Given Rafa will need these requirements to be met if he’s to have any chance of signing a new deal, this is a real concern – with it looking like he’s set to work with another ‘limited’ transfer budget in January.

Not only does the story state that Mike Ashley made no effort to meet with Benitez after showing up at Selhurst Park last weekend, it states that it ‘remains unclear’ whether Ashley will be present at the ‘recruitment summit’ set to take place between Benitez, Charnley and the club’s head scouts in the coming days.

Here’s a snippet from Lee Ryder’s piece today:

‘A recruitment summit meeting will take place following the home game with Leicester City but it remains unclear whether Ashley will be involved.

‘It is believed that Benitez’s concerns about a new deal are not salary-based and his requests were more based around improving the training ground, Academy and Under-23 set-up.

‘However, it is believed that Newcastle are reluctant to sanction those requests and are concerned that investing too heavily in the youth team is risky as there are no guaranteed results of unearthing homegrown talent.

‘Newcastle will offer Benitez limited funds for transfers in January again but the club do not feel they are in a position to sanction training ground improvements at this stage.

‘In recent weeks the training ground staff have installed a new NUFC plaque at the front of the premises while contractors cleaned the walled areas next at the Gallowgate End next to the Sir Bobby Robson statue earlier this week.’

The last line seems like a token gesture (just like many fans have received with pens and badges sent out to season ticket holders this week), however it seems like Ashley will refuse to spend his money to solve the key issues once again.

Not only that, he seems to be making no effort to actually meet with Benitez to get the bottom of this himself.

This just emphasises the fact he has no interest in bettering Newcastle United and instead appears intent on letting us crash and burn.

If things don’t seriously change, we’ll be stuck with Ashley and be without Benitez this time next year – and goodness knows what league we’ll be in if things don’t take a turn for the better.

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About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

6 thoughts on “Bad news – Report reveals what Mike Ashley will offer Rafa Benitez ahead of crucial meeting

  1. Mike its simple speculate to accumulate thats what you did to build your company. Its the same with NUFC if you invest in a world class manager and give him the funds to bring in quality players then you will get a return for the investment and retain premier league status. If you are not willing to do this then sell, before we lose Rafa and the club falls down the leagues like SAFC!!!

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  2. Dutch:
    Rafa should follow in the same steps as KK. at least Kevin had the balls to walk away.

    Ashley would love him to walk away as it would mean Rafa would have to pay 6 million in compensation. Nothing to do with balls.

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  3. Nothing will change need double relegation to change things probs should of bappened years ago well protest tomorrow will go but still feel a need to empty the ground its worth trying onlything we havent done YET

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  4. I agree with Macmag. Harping on and complaining is not working and that is a fact, some tough love is required here and a 100% boycott of a televised home game with all or most seats empty with tumbleweed rolling past the cameras is the only effective, practicable and available method to bring this man to task with his ubiquitous branding looking forlorn and sad in an empty stadium and beamed out across the world on TV. Heartbreaking strategy but totally necessary and the only way to guarantee a public humiliation of his beloved brand which is being promoted on the breaking back of an undernourished and exploited football club who’s fans are now even being deprived of hope. Just do it as the Nike brand says. Trouble is the rest of the nation is probably wondering whether we just prefer to winge on about it instead. Time to grow a pair don’t you think?

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