Report: Benitez's Newcastle future in doubt over transfer policy spat
Rafa Benitez's status as the new messiah on Tyneside may come to an unceremonious end in the summer.
The Newcastle United manager is considering his future overseeing the fallen giant after seeing his control over player recruitment dwindle, The Independent's Martin Hardy reports. The January transfer window's only significant business saw former first-choice goalkeeper Tim Krul move on loan to AZ Alkmaar, when Benitez was of the understanding that he'd have more funds to boost the Magpies' Premier League push.
The ex-Liverpool, Chelsea, and Real Madrid handler took over Newcastle in March 2016, but was unable to prevent its descent into the Championship. He was encouraged to stay with the club by owner Mike Ashley, however, with Benitez penning a three-year contract with the promise of £30 million in spending money and complete control over footballing matters.
The Spaniard splashed the cash, with Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle highlighting the arrivals, but money recouped in sales - including the exits of Moussa Sissoko, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Andros Townsend - amounted to a £30-million profit.
However, Ashley did not free up any additional funds this winter to help Benitez's bid for promotion, and has returned to resting most of his trust in chief scout Graham Carr when it comes to recruitment - going against the pact that was made when the Champions League-winning manager inked terms in the northeast.
Benitez held meetings about potential January signings two months ago, with his first-choice target being to engineer a prompt return for Townsend, who was allegedly regretting his summer move to Crystal Palace, and then a nab of Everton's James McCarthy. The Townsend failure marks Benitez's greatest grievance from a disappointing month; the Newcastle board offered assurances that he would return on a permanent basis like Benitez wanted, but they were instead negotiating an initial loan with an option to buy.
Those talks broke down on Tuesday - the window's deadline day - over the fee Crystal Palace wanted for the loan part of the deal.
"Obviously," Benitez replied when asked if he was saddened and surprised that Townsend's second coming didn't materialise. "I said before, I'm disappointed. I don't know what happened."
Benitez feels undermined by the situation at Newcastle - "Football business, I will be in charge of," he had proudly stated when he agreed to stay on last summer - with the situation baring worrying similarities to the end of Kevin Keegan's second reign. The popular Doncaster native resigned following the summer window of 2008 when the likes of Xisco and Nacho Gonzalez were signed by a transfer committee and without his consultation.
Due to this rapid breach of the agreement Keegan had in place with Newcastle over transfer negotiations, the attack-minded manager received a payout of £2 million after a winning a case at an independent arbitration panel.