Newcastle’s highly-rated Spanish boss Rafa Benitez will leave the north east club on 30th June when his current contract expires. The former Liverpool boss had been in negotiations over a new deal for a while, but the pair could not come to an agreement, therefore he will now head for pastures new at the end of the month.
According to Sky Sports, Chinese outfit Dalian Yifang have offered Benitez a contract worth £12million per-year to become their new head coach. It is as yet unclear if China will be the Spaniard’s next destination.
Has done an excellent job at Newcastle
Rafa Benitez has done an excellent job at Newcastle. He has helped the club to promotion, before guiding them to two mid-table finishes. Those results do not sound impressive, but considering the fact he has had very little to work with in the north east, it is a stellar record.
Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is renowned for not liking to spend money in the transfer market. The club-record signing of Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron looked set to break the trend of lack of spending. However, judging by the fact that Benitez has decided to leave, it may have been a rare one-off signing for the Magpies.
Rafa Benitez is ambitious
Having managed the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool, it is a major drop down to Newcastle in club stature. The Magpies are a fantastic club, with some of the best supporters in the top-flight. However, they have the least ambitious owner in the top-flight.
Reportedly, the club are the subject of a takeover deal. This has reportedly been the case in the past too. The takeovers never seem to happen for the long-suffering Toon Army. The club has such big potential, yet Ashley holds the club back by virtue of investing so little in the team.
It is believed that Benitez felt that getting into Europe was not an unrealistic objective for the team from the north east. To achieve that aim, though, the Spaniard wanted the club to back him in the transfer market.
The likelihood is that the Spaniard left due to the lack of backing in the transfer market, rather than a lack of pound signs on a potential new deal. Benitez has never come across as the sort of guy motivated by money.
Some interesting names for next Magpies boss
There are definitely some interesting names cropping up in the betting to be the next Magpies boss. The current favourite for the job is Manchester City assistant boss, Mikel Arteta, while former Manchester United and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is the second favourite to fill the position.
Former boss Chris Hughton and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe are also names being bandied around as a possible replacement for Benitez. There is a major difference between Arteta and Mourinho when it comes to managerial experience and profile. Mourinho seems highly unlikely to take the job. The Portuguese boss likes to spend money at clubs and he will not have that in the north east. If Arteta takes the job, then it will certainly show that he is up for a challenge.
Whoever takes over at Newcastle faces a major challenge filling Benitez’s shoes. If it were not for the Spaniard, then the Magpies could still be languishing in the Championship. Newcastle fans will understand Benitez’s decision and the majority will wish him well in future endeavours, wherever that may be.
Who will be the next Newcastle boss?
