Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed that there will be a meeting surrounding his future at the Magpies next week.
Speaking in his press conference before Sunday’s final game of the season with Fulham, Benitez hoped that Mike Ashley will be present to try and resolve the ongoing contract saga.
The Spaniard is out of contract this summer and there has so far been no developments over him signing an extension.
He was quoted by BBC Radio Newcastle’s Matthew Raisbeck on Twitter as saying: “My future – I said also last week that we will have a meeting. So, next week we will have a meeting any time, and we will let you know if we have any news.
“If you have a meeting of this level, at this stage of the season, it has to be a meeting where you have some decision making. So, normally it has to be the owner around, too.”
Rafa on whether he’ll meet Mike Ashley: “If you have a meeting of this level, at this stage of the season, it has to be a meeting where you have some decision making. So, normally it has to be the owner around, too.” #NUFC @bbcnewcastle
— Matthew Raisbeck (@raisbeck10) May 10, 2019
The Spaniard’s future has been in the air with his contract coming to an end in the next few weeks and the former Liverpool boss is reportedly expecting the club to match his aspirations with summer investment in his squad.
OPINION
This situation has gone on for way too long at Newcastle under Mike Ashley. Rafael Benitez has performed nothing short of a miracle in his brief spell at the club overseeing a transformation patch that many managers would not dare to take on. If Ashley was serious about keeping Benitez at the club then he would be at the meeting, ready to have serious discussions on that it take to keep him at the club and make the promises it takes to do so. Benitez is right to want added investment in his squad as they have know finished mid table relatively easy over the past two years. As a club, Newcastle and Benitez need to move forward and to do that investment is needed. Ashley made good steps towards this by allowing his manager the funds to smash their transfer record on Miguel Almiron in the last transfer window but more must be done. The good sign for Newcastle fans is that there have been regular meetings between Lee Charnley and Benitez but now it is time for Ashley to step in and give Rafa Benitez exactly what he wants.To
