Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez has backed manager Rafa Benitez to be at the club for “many years” after helping the Magpies secure promotion back to the Premier League.
The Spaniard scored two goals to ensure Newcastle got the three points they needed on Monday night against Preston to make an instant return back to the top flight. Asked by the Shields Gazette about Benitez’s importance to the club, Perez said:
“He is very important to our future. This season the team has played really well, this is a tough league, and we could promote straight away which is really hard to achieve once you have gone down. He’s been really important for us and hopefully he’s here for many years with us.”
In his press conference after Newcastle’s victory on Monday, and again on Spanish radio, Benitez refused to fully commit his future to the Magpies by saying “you never know” what happens in football.
A lot may depend on the size of the transfer budget given to the Newcastle boss by owner Mike Ashley, and the level of control he is given to bring in his own signings over the summer.
The Chronicle are reporting Benitez is close to being given the “green light” to spend a sizeable amount with the local paper hinting at a figure close to £100m.
