Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez could solve problem positions with double move for West Ham favourites

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Newcastle United are home and hosed this season and Rafa Benitez could pick off two West Ham United favourites to go even better next term.

Newcastle have retained their Premier League status under Rafa Benitez who has been rightly hailed for the superb job he has done at St James’ Park this season while West Ham are still in danger of being relegated.

Magpies fans have endured some nerve wracking moments and the on-off takeover saga proved a major disappointment for supporters.

Fans are united in wanting owner Mike Ashley out of the club, particularly after he failed to invest in the squad in January despite the looming threat of relegation and potential to lose the best manager the club has had in many a year.

Benitez managed to get the best out of his squad, though, while other more established clubs battle it out to survive going into the final two weeks of the season.

That gives the Spaniard the advantage of being able to start plotting his summer transfer business before half the league.

And he could solve two problem positions with a double move for popular West Ham duo Javier Hernandez and Adrian.

Both players have struggled for game time this season much to the bemusement of Hammers fans.

Hernandez is the quality big name goal poacher Newcastle fans so desperately crave and would thrive under Benitez who – unlike West Ham – would build the team around Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer to get the best of his finishing skills.

Meanwhile, Benitez’s fellow Spaniard Adrian has had to play second fiddle to Joe Hart for most of the season and has just a year remaining on his contract this summer.

West Ham paid just £16 million for Hernandez and will be keen to recoup most of that – a relative bargain in the modern market – while Adrian was a free transfer who has served the club well and could recoup around £5 million.

Hammers fans will be sad to see the pair go, though. Adrian is something of a cult hero while Hernandez was the striker they had craved for a decade only to see mismanagement at the club nullify his effectiveness.