Newcastle United’s clash against Chelsea on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday may be Rafa Benitez’s last game as manager, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper report that Benitez is yet to decide on his future on Tyneside and sources claim that the Spaniard does not know whether he will take charge next season.
The Mirror claim that owner Mike Ashley will have a job on his hands to keep Benitez, who is demanding several transfer guarantees ahead of the summer window.
It is said that a new deal agreement is a long way away despite Benitez wanting to secure a long-term stay with the club, with the Spaniard wanting a clear summer plan and a dedicated transfer budget.
Benitez is also reportedly demanding more freedom to get deals done on his own terms without board interference after being left disappointed by several failed moves last summer, with talks set for next week.
OPINION
In all honesty this looks like sensationalist reporting from the Mirror. While there is indeed a possibility that Sunday’s clash will be Benitez’s final game in charge of the club, the Spaniard is quite obviously happy on Tyneside and keen to extend his stay. It is no surprise that he is making certain demands to do with transfers after a disastrous summer last time round, but that will surely not be a problem from the club’s point-of-view. Benitez is one of the main reasons why they were able to bounce straight back up from the Championship, and no one at the club will be under any illusions about his impact. We will obviously find out more about the situation after next week’s talks, which will hopefully lead to a new contract being penned. Then work can begin on the summer window, which will be absolutely vital to the club’s hopes of mounting a sustained challenge on the top-half next term.
