The Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder has delivered an update on Rafa Benitez’s contract talks with Newcastle United, suggesting that discussions continued over the weekend
Ryder also suggested that any delays in the negotiation process may be down to the Spaniard trying to eek out as much assurance as possible from the board over their ambitions for the club going forward.
Speaking in a video uploaded to Youtube, he said: “Talks have continued into the weekend.
“For Newcastle now, it’s a case of can Rafa Benitez accept the package that they have put in front of him?
“Rafa certainly wants to kick on and challenge in the cups, try and finish in the top eight. That’s basically his attitude on this; that the club has to show more ambition going forward.
“Maybe that is the delay on this, to see what can be bottomed out of the contract that Benitez is looking for.”
OPINION
The whole Benitez saga is getting a bit tiresome now. Every time it feels as if some kind of progress is made or a breakthrough is on the cards, something seems to come up that puts things back a couple of steps. Towards the end of last week, the general feeling around the negotiations was one of optimism. It seemed like a matter of time before Benitez signed a new deal and all of this could be put to bed. Ryder’s update doesn’t necessarily lessen the chances of that happening per se, but it would definitely go some way to suggesting that progress has slowed somewhat. Ultimately, it just reaffirms that this whole conversation, and the ongoing confusion that surrounds it, comes down to one thing and one thing only: ambition. If United can match the Spaniard’s ambition then everybody is happy. If not, then meeting any kind of agreement could be difficult. For now, all the Toon Army can do is keep on waiting.
