Rafa Benitez has suggested that Newcastle United would have to spend up to £75million to get their attack up to a standard that he would be happy with.
The Magpies signed Miguel Almiron for a club-record fee of around £20million in the January transfer window, but Benitez’s current attack is also made up of Salomon Rondon, who is on loan from West Brom, and Ayoze Perez, a £1.5million signing in 2014.
Mike Ashley has been widely criticised for his lack of spending over the last few seasons, and Benitez has now hinted that the Newcastle owner will really have to splash the cash if he wants to build an impressive attack.
“The final third, we have been speaking all season… the final third you have to spend £40m, £50m, £75m,” said Benitez, as quoted by the Mirror.
OPINION
It was a massive shock in January when Ashley let Benitez spend £20million on Almiron, so do not expect the controversial Newcastle owner to do something similar in the summer. Benitez’s contract expires in the summer and whether or not he stays might depend on how much money Ashley will let him spend in the next transfer window. It must be a horrible job for Benitez. He sees the potential of a club like Newcastle, yet they are held back by their lack of spending and their squad does not seem a whole lot different from the one that he won the Championship title with two seasons ago. Newcastle really should be doing better than they are and Benitez must be getting fed up with that because he is being forced to work miracles with a squad of players that should have had some serious investment in by now. Newcastle fans won’t blame Benitez if he does go in the summer.
