The Chronicle are reporting today there are no negotiations currently going on with manager Rafa Benitez but the manager is expecting new talks to start soon with his representatives on a new deal at Newcastle.
The news yesterday was promising in that Rafa and Lee are working together to try to get Rafa’s top targets in by the time preseason starts in early July.
And the club are hoping to get Rafa signed up by that day – Monday 2nd July.
That’s the date Charnley has been given to get the deal with Rafa completed.
If he is not signed by then, it could be challenging to get some of our top targets through the door.
Rafa Benitez in the dugout with first-team coach Mikel Antia
They may want proof that Rafa is staying at the club long-term – although he is definitely staying for at least a year to see out his current contract.
It’s difficult to know why this is taking so long since it’s over three weeks now since the season ended and at that time Rafa wanted the deal signed as soon as possible.
The negotiations are not about money, and he seems happy with whatever Newcastle will offer him in wages.
For Rafa, it’s the football and the control he wants (needs) to take the club forward.
He wants full control on how the transfer money is spent and wants to rebuild the Youth Academy, and he also wants the physical training facilities at Benton improved significantly.
The sooner the club give him what he wants, the sooner the fans can relax a bit knowing that the perfect manager for Newcastle will be at the club for several years to come.
The time this is taking, however, does not bode well for when we are going after new players this summer.
Hopefully, those negotiations will not drag on and on like they did last summer.
Comments welcome.
Note:
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19 comments so far
Jib
May 29, 2018 at 9:16 AM
Comment #1I don’t think Ashley will abdicate control of the finances of
the club entirely.
If Rafa insists that he needs 100% control of the finances
then it will be adios in June 2019 I’m afraid.
However
I think the sticking point is that the decision on the worth of
players transfer fees is made from the wrong standpoint.
If Rafa can convince Ashley that a degree of wastage is inevitable
then they’ll get it on
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
May 29, 2018 at 9:18 AM
Comment #2Willow…from a personal point of view and from what I have seen so far (even at other clubs who change manager) I don’t think Rafa’s contract situation will be an issue when it comes to signing players…
…money and intent are what will define the outcome. Do we have money to spend and can/will we compete when it comes to offering a contract!
The Rafa situation is more of a Newcastle support issue I think…
Ben Afri
May 29, 2018 at 9:18 AM
Comment #3Not sure why all the fuss about the deal “taking so long.” There’s a lot for Rafa to think about, he has all year, and he’s being meticulous. I understand the concern but not the drama made from this. Rafa’s doing what he needs to do to get the best out of the club for US!
Ben Afri
May 29, 2018 at 9:21 AM
Comment #4Jib
I agree that I doubt very much that Ashley will forfeit so much control of the finance over to Rafa, even if he does respect him. But I think that he might be persuaded to hand over a lot more control over to Rafa considering the fact that he’s proven that investing in football is investing in the business.
Ben Afri
May 29, 2018 at 9:22 AM
Comment #5That wasn’t very clear. I meant that Rafa has shown that you can run a good business by investing in good football, as the TV deals show.
NUFCadon
May 29, 2018 at 9:26 AM
Comment #6get what you are saying Ben Afri and you are correct but think people, myself included are worried by not getting him tied down to a longer contract, better players won’t come because of the chance they wont be working with Rafa and and Rafaless newcastle is another relegation battling drama club
RobLeenio
May 29, 2018 at 9:31 AM
Comment #7Jib “If Rafa insists that he needs 100% control of the finances
then it will be adios in June 2019 I’m afraid.”
Not sure Rafa would ask for 100% control as such – this would be too much for Ashley to countenance, as you suggest. The ability to spend an agreed budget without oversight plus a commitment to invest a portion of the profits into the club infrastructure would seem a more reasonable request.
Of course, as ever, it’s all speculation, none of us know what the sticking points are in reality.
dig-n-dig22
May 29, 2018 at 9:32 AM
Comment #8From previous post
I think Sterling is a N0B but this is political correctness gone crazy. A tattoo knife a dagger or a sword is acceptable, need I say any more?
Ben Afri
May 29, 2018 at 9:33 AM
Comment #9NUFCadon
That’s a very good point. We don’t even have Dubravka tied down yet and it shows just how important it is gaining speedy assurances of keeping Rafa – so you make a valid point.
Tsunki
May 29, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Comment #10Dig-n-dig I was joking you know…
switch365
May 29, 2018 at 9:36 AM
Comment #11Cashley wants to make money and nothing else matters. There are names for people like that and quite a few aren’t printable.
Our misfortune is for our beloved club to have been sold to one such individual and for that to still remain the case a decade and two relegations later.
So long as he owns the club, we’ll never aspire to anything beyond making his wallet heavier.
There is no negotiating, no seeing sense and no coming round to our way of thinking.
Our only hope for any of that was a pipedream that someone be it Stavely or some unknown condortium, would be our saviour.
Whilst we’re a million miles away from the shambles down the road. We’ll not get back to our levels we had under Keegan and Robson, till he’s gone.
To have someone like Rafa as manager and not utilise his skills to bring us to those nights of yesteryear, is an absolute travesty to all who wear black & white.
Ben Afri
May 29, 2018 at 9:41 AM
Comment #12switch365
There’s no debate that Ashley is to football what Hiter is to the Nobel Peace Prize. But with Ashley seeing the benefits of ending up in higher positions each year, he may very well allow the club to spend in order to gain more. This is what I mean by Rafa being the one to show him that there is a way to make money by becoming a successful club again. Our hope really is the TV deals, and the only man to drive us there is Rafa, and Ashley knows it.
NI_magpie
May 29, 2018 at 9:46 AM
Comment #13Absolutely stinks of the establishment fudging Benitez’ contract talks……
Mike Ashley playing a “Good PR” role – Charnley will be the scapegoat when it all goes wrong!
posada
May 29, 2018 at 9:47 AM
Comment #14I think Mike Ashley is the Hokey Cokey man as far as Rafa is concerned.
In out in out.
Wants does not want.
Firstly, yes he wants what he brings to the club. Promotion and 10th place.
Several players have gone up in value. Lascelles by about 20 million. As a top manager he will attract players.
But, secondly, does he trust him and his project. Does he trust his judgement.
Especially on players. I don’t think so.
Why ? Sels, Gamez, Lazaar etc.
Not all tranfers will work out. However the likes of Lazaar will take up a squad place for years, get paid serious money. Money wasted.
I think this is how Ashley and his crew will look at it. Not particularly my view.
kc2012
May 29, 2018 at 10:08 AM
Comment #15The downside to us finishing 10th and having a decent season without hardly spending last season is that now Mike Ashley knows what can be achieved by putting minimal into the club, he’s probably thinking what if he backs all these demands up and the club flops afterwards anyway. He clearly thinks he’s had his money’s worth out of Rafa which he has and probably thinks the club will be stable enough after rafas deal ends for someone else to come in and work wonders on minimal finances and he knows he’ll probably sell the club before Rafa leaves anyway so unfortunately it’s probably win win for Ashley. Who knows
Moonraker15
May 29, 2018 at 10:29 AM
Comment #16Rafa understands that one man (the manager) can’t possibly hold full control over all transfers; I’ve heard him say that in an interview. Someone has to “sign the cheque”!
I’m pretty sure no players come or go without Rafa’s approval so I think Rafa probably wants 100% control of comings and goings within a certain budget.
Also he wants guarantees on investment in training ground facilities. As all this will add value to the club, Ashley should eventually agree; Rafa is known to take a long time doing due diligence as demonstrated at Liverpool and basically he holds all the cards.
It’s all good in my opinion!
mactoon
May 29, 2018 at 10:51 AM
Comment #17@Jib Comment No. 1
I can’t remember seeing it stated anywhere that he wants full control of the club finances?
He just wants full control on how the transfer money is spent and given that he’s the only one in the club that knows anything about football it’s a no brainer that he is given that control to me.
ArtyH
May 29, 2018 at 11:09 AM
Comment #18Cannot help thinking the going on at the toon remind me of a T.V series with Gordon Ramsey where he has to take over a restaurant that has gone down the pan, after pointing out how it has all gone wrong he changes things but the owner always interferes ans screws things up, until he finally get on-board. Unfortunately in our case the owner is that stupid and greedy he will never get on-board. Groundhog day 4000+ ( 11 years )!
mactoon
May 29, 2018 at 11:19 AM
Comment #19Kitchen nightmares, and if you google the name of the restaurant after the program they have always closed and gone into administration because of owners who don’t know what they are doing……