Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has informed manager Rafa Benitez that he will have to shop for bargain deals again this summer, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper claim that Ashley has repeated his message of last summer to Benitez, who is expected to have a modest budget to work with once again despite a large windfall of TV money being due in the club’s accounts in July.
The Chronicle report that Benitez is eyeing up four or five new players this summer, with a striker, a right-back, a winger and a midfielder his main targets.
It is said that Benitez will however have to reassess his options after being informed of the club’s decision not to spend big, and may have to wait until the top-six clubs have completed their spending to pursue loan targets such as Kenedy from Chelsea.
OPINION
Here we go again. Newcastle fans had begun to fear the worst after their slow start in the summer transfer window, and their worst nightmares have been realised as Ashley pursues of a policy of low spending for a second year running. This is all despite the owner publicly claiming he would back Benitez this summer, with their tenth-place finish putting the club in a good position to increase their transfer budget this time round. That does not look to be the case, and Benitez will now have to reassess his targets as he looks to remain within these ridiculous constraints. Much of his business may again have to be conducted within the loan market, and that does not put the club in a great position going forward. The Magpies need to bring in players they can reply upon and build upon for years to come, not ones that will come in and do a job and then leave. Don’t be surprised if the club are fighting relegation again next season after this revelation, which is absolutely gobsmacking considering the season they just had.
