Newcastle star admits he’s heard Benitez rumours ahead of takeover

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Newcastle United’s takeover should go through in the coming weeks.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has told Sport.sk that he has heard the rumours about Rafael Benitez as the club’s takeover draws closer.

Mike Ashley’s 13-year stint in charge at St James’ Park looks set to come to an end, with a £300million deal agreed with a wealthy group consisting of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund, Amanda Staveley and the Reuben brothers.

Newcastle fans are already excited about the prospect of huge riches at the club, with new players and possibly a new manager on the radar.

Steve Bruce looks set to keep his job for the foreseeable future, but ESPN report that the new owners already have four names on their managerial wish list; Mauricio Pochettino, Massimiliano Allegri, Lucien Favre and even Rafael Benitez.

Benitez left Newcastle last summer when his contract expired, with Ashley’s inability to keep the Spaniard at the club leaving fans furious.

The Spaniard spent three years with the club, winning promotion from the Championship in 2017 before establishing Newcastle as a Premier League club again with two strong seasons.

Now currently in China with Dalian Professional, Benitez has a huge buyout clause, and it may be difficult for Newcastle to bring him back to the club even if he’s interested.

Goalkeeper Dubravka – signed by Benitez – has now been speaking back in Slovakia about the matter, admitting that the ‘huge supply of finance’ will no doubt bring changes, and he has admitted that he has heard the Benitez rumours, and ultimately wants to be ‘surprised’ at the outcome. 

“These are all conjectures that come with it,” said Dubravka. “If this happens and the club sells, it will probably come with a huge supply of finance. When you think about the possession of a new possible owner, it is not surprising. But I heard that Rafael Benitez could also come back. There is a lot of speculation, so let’s be surprised at the outcome,” he added.

Somewhat interesting that he picked out Benitez rather than any other name linked with the job, and that he was willing to discuss the matter despite Bruce still being in the job, with Benitez’s return no doubt a popular option for many Newcastle players.