Newcastle must be cautious with safety secured after Rafa Benitez and key trio are linked away

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Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez has done a superb job this season with Premier League safety all but secure, and that’s half the problem.

From the outside looking in many neutrals and pundits fully expected Newcastle to be relegated back to the Championship this season.

An acute lack of investment, a squad lacking in quality and depth, the on-off takeover saga and speculation over the manager’s future were all good reasons as to why.

Against the odds, though, not only has Rafa Benitez remained at St James’ Park, but he has also managed to squeeze every ounce out of what he has to ensure the club stays in the division.

An impressive away win at Leicester City last time out pushed the Magpies up to 10th place on 38 points. Not only will Newcastle stay up relatively comfortably, they will be massively over achieving in doing so.

Benitez is revered on Tyneside but with the inevitable anti-climax of midtable mediocrity for the ambitious Spaniard, fans will already be biting their nails over his future and that of a key Magpies trio.

The likes of West Ham and Real Sociedad have been linked with Benitez while Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey and Kenedy also linked with moves away.

Kenedy has been a revelation since signing on loan from Chelsea and supporters were hoping the club might be able to make it permanent this summer.

But the Brazilian has now been linked with the likes of Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich if Chelsea decide to sell, as reported by Sky Sports.

Shelvey has turned a rollercoaster season around and is in the running for the club’s player of the year award while also being mentioned as a possibility for England at this summer’s World Cup in Russia.

He too has been linked with a move away back to boyhood club West Ham where he started out his career as a young player – as previously reported by Chronicle Live.

Lascelles has been captain fantastic for Benitez and has also attracted attention from Gareth Southgate and West Ham, with The Sun reporting the Hammers will make a big bid in the summer.

If Mike Ashley remains as owner, fans will become more disaffected and the lack of investment coupled with the loss of key figures would make Newcastle prime candidates for another relegation battle next season and one they might not win so comfortably.