Newcastle United have been linked to quite a lot of players over the past week – and Everton boss Rafael Benitez won’t like one name he’s reading.
It’s been seven days since Saudi Public Investment Fund completed their £300 million takeover of the St James’s Park club.
And by virtue of the fact that they boast a fortune of £320 billion, it’s safe to say that Newcastle fans are dreaming about bringing the biggest and brightest talents to the North East.
One big player to be linked since then is Clement Lenglet who, according to Sport, is the subject of enquiries by the Magpies.
And should Newcastle sign him in January, Benitez, their former manager, might be a little annoyed.
Why will Benitez be angry?
That’s because Sport in Spain reported a couple of months ago that Benitez, the Everton boss, wanted the French centre-back at Goodison Park.
And although a move to the Toffees never materialised, the Spanish manager might have wanted a renewed attempt in January.
But with Newcastle in the equation now it seems, they can blow their former head coach out of the water and offer far more money than Everton.
And with the Camp Nou club suffering from well documented financial problems, it’s obvious which club Barca would rather sell to.
Will Benitez be back for him?
Honestly, probably.
The 61-year-old, who was Newcastle boss from 2016 until 2019, didn’t wind up signing another central defender after the Lenglet interest, meaning he may well still be on their agenda.
But as pointed out, United’s interest is seriously ominous for Everton and Benitez and if the Magpies’ hierarchy do want him, there’s little that their former employee can do.
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