Newcastle United have had a varied start to life back in the Premier League, with three wins and three defeats, but the general consensus around Tyneside is positive- with a lot of the success owed to manager Rafael Benitez.
The Magpies achieved an instant return to the top-flight last season, winning the Championship title, and Benitez has attracted plenty of suitors, including West Ham, which has lead Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher to claim the Spaniard won’t be there for long.
Former England international Carragher won the Champions League under Benitez’ tenure at Anfield in 2005 and believes that Benitez’ won’t remain in the North East for long, potentially being lured away before the end of his contract in 2019 if a club matches his £5.5m release clause.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Carragher spoke about his vision of Benitez’ future and said:
If I’m being totally honest, I don’t expect to see Rafa Benitez at Newcastle over a sustained, long period of time. I think eventually something will happen with him and the owner and unfortunately for Newcastle this is not going to be a happy and long marriage. So enjoy it while he’s here.”
Newcastle are keen for Benitez to extend his contract and that needs to be secured as soon as possible, as the manager is worth a lot more to the club than the £5.5m compensation he’s available for- so clubs like West Ham won’t blink at the fee.
The issue is that Newcastle have struggled for stability in recent years and would struggle to find an adequate replacement should Benitez leave the club, which puts pressure on owner Mike Ashley- who’s made no secret of his desire to sell the club.
A lack of funds in the summer led to a war of words between Benitez and Ashley, where the Spanish manager contemplated leaving the North East, and that bridge needs to be rebuilt if the club are to enjoy successful years ahead.
