Rafa Benitez dismissed the idea that Newcastle United’s budget made it difficult for them to sign players in January and that problems arise due to the players they want not being available.
The Spanish manager provided an update on the work being done ahead of the January window in his press conference ahead of the Magpies’ clash with Burnley and shared they were working on getting players.
Benitez added that difficulty came from the availability of players rather than his transfer budget causing him issues.
“January is quiet (quite) difficult it’s not about how much it’s about what players are available. We don’t have Premier League loans available. We will have to work hard,” said Benitez in his press conference on Friday, as transcribed by the Chronicle.
“We are working on players and working on names but we have to keep winning.
“I would like to go to January 1 with a lot of wins, then we will see how it affects the window. We have to improve the squad regardless, but we have to keep winning, then look at January when it comes”
OPINION
Benitez reiterates the need for his side to keep winning in order for the right players to arrive in January so that may imply the club are looking at recruiting talent who will be put off by the thought of a relegation battle. This could mean the Magpies are looking at players who will definitely improve Benitez’s squad but then again it could also mean the manager will want to change targets if tasked with ensuring Premier League survival. If the Magpies find themselves in the relegation dogfight come January then the Spaniard would probably be determined to sign talent who know the league and can instantly settle in. While a lot of emphasis is always put on the Magpies’ transfer budget, it seems a non-financial issue could cause some difficulty for the Magpies when it comes to getting the players they want. It makes sense that clubs are less willing to part with certain players mid-way through a season as opposed to waiting until the summer window to get them off their books, as it unsettles their team more.
